Rise of the Engine Riders: Civil War
by FantasyNerd306
Summary: Lily lived an easy and simple life until she was chosen by the most powerful engine on Sodor, none other than Lady, the guardian of the Magic Railroad. Lily must pick up where Tasha, her beloved grandmother, left off, and bring peace to Sodor before it's too late. Will she be able to bring peace to the island AND keep Lady's blood lust under control, or will she share Tasha's fate?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm finally get this out for you guys to be able to enjoy! I've been wanting to do this a long time, and I am finally putting it up! If you want to learn how the curse got started, check out What A Wonderful World, one of my other stories. It explains how the curse and the Riders came to be. It is also a work in progress, so please be patient. Anyway, on with the story!**

Lily was with her grandfather, Burnett Stone, in Lady's shed on Muffle Mountain, helping him dust Lady off.

"Are magical engines built, or... what?" Lilly stuck her head out from the other side of Lady. Burnett looked up from his dust rag, and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh jeez... How can I explain this? Um, you see, Lilly, magical engines aren't necessarily built. " Burnett paused, trying to think how to explain this Lilly. He stifled a chortle as Lilly's turn into an expression of disgust. She needed to learn this anyway if she is to carry the torch of taking care of Lady one day.

"They're born, so to speak. They are created in a laboratory through gene splicing technology. They can even take the DNA of another magical engine, and give it any specific traits people would like. After that, they create an environment stable enough to allow the engine to develop, and when the engine is developed enough, they put it up for adoption." Burnett tried his best to make it sound better than what it really was. It didn't seem to help much.

"It's not always like that." Lady looked at Lilly at the corner of her eye. "If you want your engine to look a certain way, you can call a laboratory, and have an engine custom made for you. It's going to burn a hole in your wallet however, so be sure you have enough money to buy, and maintain us."

Lilly cringed. "That sounds like something from a horror movie, so that means Lady is-?"

"A mutant?" Lady cut her off. "Yes. However, it actually benefits us. We have sharper senses than most engines. I was built with a light frame to let me move faster, but I take more damage if I crash." Lady was much better at explaining this to the child than Burnett. It was probably better if he let Lady do the talking when it came to subjects like this. She clearly knew more about this than he did.

"Huh, that's pretty cool. Did it hurt when grandpa was clinging to you for dear life when Diesel 10 chased you, and Thomas?" Lily decided to change the subject. She was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. Lady seemed to take notice of Lily's discomfort. She was more in tune with Lily's needs than her caretaker's. Perhaps Lady sees Lily as her kit, her child. It wouldn't surprise Burnett one bit. Lady instantly took to Lily the moment she saw her.

"A little bit, but he had virtually nothing to hold onto." Lady chuckled. The poor man almost fell off her from going at such high speeds. Burnett apologized after the chase, but it really wasn't necessary. Lady understood he had no choice but to cling to her for dear life as she sped through the island. Thankfully, Thomas was there to help her this time. Despite the fact, she left him in the dust.

"Grandpa?" Lily shifted a bit. She wasn't sure if he could answer this or not. She had heard stories about these people from Junior, but Mr. Conductor rarely talked about it. It was as if he didn't want her to know about them. Perhaps her grandfather had some answers.

"Yes, Lily?" Burnett shook off his dust rag, and stuffed it in his pocket. He himself had many questions about Lady when he was Lily's age, but this one wasn't related to Lady at all. It was more about the history of Sodor itself: the Engine Riders.

"Junior told me stories about the Engine Riders. Who are they?" Lily asked him. Burnett froze, and his expression grew solemn. The question had reopened an old wound.

"They're... special. They have a special bond with an engine. Tasha, your grandmother, was Lady's Rider before she died." Burnett paused, trying to find the right words to describe them. Tasha would be able to answer this question better than he would. However, she was no longer with them. She was walking amongst the stars.

"An engine can only have one Rider at a time, but can have as many as they wish throughout their lifetime. When I was your age, I always hoped an engine would choose me, so I could go out and have adventures with it." Burnett smiled weakly. "But I'm probably too old now."

It was true. He longed to see the world, and wanted to know what it was like to be so close with such a powerful creature, but the chances of him being chosen now was slim, or even nonexistent. He stuffed his dust rag in his pocket.

"I'm going to get some special coal from the truck that Patch got for us. I won't be long." Burnett walked into the tunnel that led outside the shed, and to the magic railroad. The tunnel was actually a series a caverns, each cavern had a special purpose, whether for storage or a means of escape. Lady was even able to travel to Shinning Time, but she's never left the safety of the mountain to explore our reality. Perhaps it was better that way.

Lilly saw the rare opportunity to climb into Lady's cab. This was her future duty: to protect Lady, and the magic railroad from corruption and harm, but she was just as curious about Lady as she was about Lily. Suddenly, an agonizing sharp pain in her head made her hold her head, and scream in agony. It felt like someone had thrust an ice cold dagger set on fire into her skull, and into her brain. Her ears rang as the burning sensation became more intense, and felt light headed, and disoriented. She didn't hear her grandfather dropping his shovel, running towards her, and shouting her name. She tried to step down from Lady's footplate, but her foot slipped out from underneath her, and she blacked out.

 **A/N: Sorry this chapter ends in a cliff hanger. Feel free to go crazy with your theories as to how the curse came to Sodor. I will eventually reveal how it made its way to Sodor, and if you have any questions about the curse itself, or how the curse altered the engines in any shape or form, feel free to ask me. I will answer them to the best of my abilities. Until we meet again, see ya in the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Woo-hoo! I'm on a roll! Here we shall see what happened to Lily, and meet the newest Rider in the ranks. Without further ado, on with the story!**

Lily came to with a start as Burnett desperately shook her awake. She grimaced, and hissed in pain as her head throbbed.

"What happened?" Lilly groaned. Burnett helped her stand up, and held her until she was able to stand steady. She felt like the world was spinning for a couple minutes until her head finally cleared.

"You fell from Lady's cab, and hit your head on the ground. Are you alright?" Burnett brushed her hair form her face. She probably looked like a total wreck, but she was in too much pain to care about that. Lily rubbed her forehead. Her palm was cold and numb. Did she injure it?

"I don't kn-" Lily froze, and her eyes grew wide when she looked down at her palm. There was a white steam locomotive's wheel on her palm. That wasn't there before. Should she be worried about this? It had never shown up until now.

"Grandpa," Lily showed Burnett her hand. Burnett gasped, and dropped his coal shovel. Could it be? He held her hand, and touched the marking. It was cold as ice. It was! Lily had been chosen!

"Lady... you... you..." Burnett couldn't believe it. Lady had finally chosen a Rider, none other than his precious granddaughter. Tears welled up in his eyes. Tasha would be proud. Burnett hugged Lily tight, and began to cry, not out of sorrow, but of joy. Lily was following in Tasha's footsteps.

"Grandpa, what's wrong?" Lily was oblivious to what had occurred just moments ago. Burnett released her, and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Lady chose you, Lily! You're a Rider, just like Tasha!" Burnett smiled from ear to ear. This was an exciting time for not just the family and Shining Time, but the whole Island of Sodor. Lily blinked in surprise. There was no special ceremony or anything, but she bared the mark.

"W-what do you mean?" Lily stammered. She flinched when she felt something gingerly brush against her mind like how a finger trails over skin. Now she was alarmed. Was this supposed to happen?

"Grandpa, something's wrong." Lily touched her temple. It wasn't hot or cold. It was if there was another presence in her mind.

"What do you mean something's wrong?" Burnett's smile faltered. Had the bond failed to seal? Was Lily seriously hurt after the fall?

 _Everything is fine, little one._ A familiar voice rang in Lily's mind. Lily looked over to Lady in disbelief. Did Lady just talk to her through her mind? She reached out through the bond, and touched another presence. It was warm, and welcoming. Lady smiled gently. It _had_ to be her.

 _Lady?_ Lily wasn't sure if Lady could hear her. Lady chuckled softly. She must have been able to hear her.

 _Yes, it's me, little one._ Lady's gaze grew soft at the sight of her Rider staring at her in wonder. She missed having a Rider by her side. It was quiet, more quiet than the mountains at night. It felt wonderful to finally have a Rider again, especially since Tasha... she didn't like to think about it. She had a Rider to look after now. She needed to stay strong for Lily, her little one.

 _W-why did you choose me? You hadn't chosen a Rider since... you know... Tasha died._ Lily sensed a hint of sorrow and guilt from Lady. Lady must feel partly responsible for Burnett's sadness after Tasha died. Lady most likely reverted into a hibernation like state until Burnett reawakened her. Lady must have been grief stricken after loosing Tasha, her previous Rider.

 _It was time I moved on from Tasha's death, and you are like a daughter to me, Lily. It is my job to protect you, and this makes it easier on the both of us. If you ever want to talk, or need my help, just let me know, and I will rush to your aid, little one._ Lady replied, and then withdrew from the bond.

"I can... talk to Lady..." Lily trailed off. This whole Rider thing was incredible. What else could she do now? Could she talk to other people and engines with her mind? Could she use Lady's magic since she is bonded with her?

"You can talk to her through your mind? Yes, Tasha told me about that. She said the bond between her, and Lady was so strong, she was able to feel Lady's emotions. She could even see the world through Lady's eyes." Burnett had numerous conversations with Tasha while she was still alive about these topics. It was interesting to hear all the stories about seeing Sodor, and some of the funny things that had happened to her and Lady on their journeys. He missed hearing her laugh, and seeing her smile.

"So, if Lady is Lady gets hurt... there's a chance I can feel it?" Lily asked. Burnett nodded. Tasha was in agony after Lady's crash. Burnett managed to fix Lady quicker than most thought was humanly possible, but during that period, Tasha could barely move without screaming in pain. He felt guilty for making her feel like that. It was his fault Lady crashed, and caused Tasha so much pain.

"What else can see do?" Lily knew she should be asking Lady these questions, but her grandfather seemed to have a surprisingly large amount of knowledge on this particular topic.

"She can show you her memories." Burnett replied. He did his best to answer her questions. Lady would probably be able to do a better job at explaining this than him.

"So, I can see grandma through Lady's eyes?" Lily wasn't able to meet her grandmother. Maybe she could at least see her through Lady's memories. At least she would know how Tasha looked like when she was still alive rather than not being able to not know her at all.

"Yes, and since you are Lady's Rider now, you are the only one that can touch her boiler and not get burned after a run." Burnett had accidentally burned his hand on Lady's boiler before. Lady felt terrible for it, but it wasn't her fault. He should've paid more attention when he was cleaning her. This was by far the most perplexing thing about being a Rider. Tasha was able to touch Lady's boiler no matter how long Lady had been running around Sodor. Perhaps he should let Mr. Conductor, and Junior know about this. They could help watch over Lily when they visit Sodor again. He would definitely feel better with two of his most trusted friends keeping an eye on her. That way history wouldn't repeat itself. He couldn't lose Lily like how he lost Tasha. It would be too much for him _and_ Lady.

"How 'bout we break the news to Mr. Conductor, and Junior?" Burnett smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Yes! Another chapter! We will learn a little bit more about Tasha's death. I was listening to The Beauty Of Dawn by Malukah. It really fits this story. You can feel the pain, and suffering in her tone of voice. Anyway, on with the story!**

"Come on! Come on! Pick up already!" Junior paced back and forth in the meadow as he tried to call Burnett on his shell phone... for the twelfth time. So much for giving Burnett a cell phone. The old man hardly used it, and almost never had it turned on in the first place. Either he was stubborn, or just wasn't too fond in using it altogether.

"Junior, he's probably busy taking care of Lady and Lily!" Mr. Conductor shook his head and sighed. He figured Burnett wouldn't get a very good signal in Muffle Mountain. It was isolated from civilization, and the landscape was virtually untouched by man for as long as he could remember. There were definitely no cell towers in the mountains. The townsfolk wanted to keep it looking beautiful for many generations to enjoy. Even though, hardly no one ever trekked into the mountain other than Burnett, Patch, and Lily. However, he couldn't help, but fell a little worried. Something terrible could have very well happened to Burnett. That would mean Lily would have to take keep Lady safe, and keep the magic alive, a daunting task for anyone, especially a child. They would have to teach her all that she would need to know about this. Burnett seemed to be doing a good job at it, but Burnett probably wouldn't mind a little extra help.

"We gave him a cellphone! He should be able to pick up!" Junior snapped back. He was becoming more frustrated than nervous now. Burnett would have to use his cellphone eventually. They gave it to him, so they could help him whenever needed, but Burnett was stubborn. Burnett wouldn't accept help until he was on his knees. That happened when Lady was in hibernation, and the magic railroad almost faded away. Apparently, he hadn't learned his lesson.

"Ah, forget it!" Junior hung up. Now that he got to thinking about it, his shell phone wasn't very reliable, as proven when his cousin called him while he was on the beach. It was a waste of money, but it was better than nothing. At least it provided some way to keep in touch with family and friends, even if it was just a piece of junk. Perhaps he could trade it in for new one.

Both Junior, and Mr. Conductor perked up when they heard Lady's whistle. Was Burnett really here? If so, why would he return to Sodor with Diesel 10 still on the loose? Was he teaching Lily how to control Lady? Perhaps, but Lady could very well be visiting Sodor on her own. They would have to keep an eye on her to make sure she was safe.

"There they are!" Mr. Conductor pointed at the beautiful engine as she slowed to a stop. Sure enough, Burnett was behind the helm. Much to his surprise, Lily raced out of Lady's cab with the biggest smile on her face. Something had happened, but it didn't seem to be anything bad. That was a plus.

Burnett shook his head, and chuckled softly as he climbed out of Lady's cab. Lily couldn't wait to show them she had been chosen. Then again, it was no small matter. This was something worth celebrating. This was a part of Sodor's history. The Riders have protected the island for years, but now the Riders are split between one another. It broke his heart to see them as such, but maybe, just maybe, with the rise of a new leader, they may unite as one once more.

"Junior! Junior!" Lily raced over to them, and came to a stop before them, panting. She couldn't believe it. She was a Rider, one of Sodor's sworn protectors, and was chosen by none other than the most powerful engine on Sodor. There was no higher honor.

"What it it, Lily?" Junior smiled. It warmed his heart to see Lily so happy. In times like this, everyone could use at least a little bit of happiness in their lives. If only the Riders were together as one like they were once before, and no longer hide in fear.

"What's wrong?" Mr. Conductor raised an eyebrow at her. Lily seemed to barely contain herself. Was it her birthday? Was she a big sister now? Had she successfully driven Lady down the magic railroad on her own? Little did he know that this was the start of an epic journey to unite the island once more, just as it was before Tasha passed away.

"Look!" Lily showed them her palm. Junior gasped, and he grabbed her hand. Mr. Conductor shot up. Could it be true? Had she been chosen?

"Look cuz! Look! She's a Rider!" Junior pointed at the marking on her palm. Mr. Conductor's jaw dropped. It was true! Lily had been chosen! He held her hand, and scrutinized the marking. It was authentic. She truly was a Rider. This was a joyous time for the island indeed.

"Who chose her?" Mr. Conductor looked up at Burnett in shock. Thomas seemed to have taken a liking to her, but he already had a Rider. That left only one engine: Lady. The leader of _all_ the magical engines all over the world, and steam engines of Sodor. The Riders would have a new leader to guide them in the darkness of war.

"Lady chose her." Burnett replied. Mr. Conductor looked at Lady to ask her if it was true. Lady smiled, and that answered his question right then and there. Lady had chosen a Rider after all these years. It was the dawn of a new era for the island. Peace was to reign once more.

"You're joking." Junior couldn't believe it. He thought Lady would have never chosen another Rider since Tasha left this world to walk among the stars. Apparently, he was wrong. Lady always had a special bond with Lily, but he never expected for the child to be chosen.

"No. I was there to witness it. Lady made the bond, and sealed it with the first contact. Lily is a Rider now, just like her grandmother." Burnett's smile faded. He couldn't afford for any of the diesels to find out, not even Rusty should know about this. It was to protect his precious granddaughter from sharing the same fate as her grandmother.

"We can't let Diesel 10 find out about this. You both know what will happen if he discovers her. This is a secret between the three of us, understood?" Burnett hated to think about it, but it was true. Lily would be a prime target with her being the new leader of the Riders. Diesel 10 had a reason to lead this war however. He was heartbroken, just as how he was after Tasha died, but violence was never the answer. Revenge would only make things worse. He needed to move on.

"Yes, sir." Junior nodded. Burnett was right to be so protective of Lily, especially now. However, how is to lead the Riders if she has not stepped forward? The bloody feud between the steamies and diesels would simply continue without someone to unite them. It would do more harm than good, but Lily needed to be protected from the diesels. Would they rather stand idle as the island is ripped apart by this feud, or would they stand up and make peace between the two sides? Burnett made his choice, and Junior respected that.

"Got it." Mr. Conductor seemed to understand why Burnett was so uptight about it, but how were they to put an end to this feud once and for all? Perhaps it was best to wait. There is a time for everything, but the island desperately needed peace. If the feud doesn't end soon, it could turn into full scale war. The island would most certainly be destroyed by that time. Maybe it could give them a chance to start over? No. There would be no Riders left, at least on Sodor.

Just as quickly they arrived on the island, Lily, Lady, and Burnett left for Muffle Mountain before anyone could notice their presence. They were back at Lady's shed, one of the few places Lily would grow to call home. Lily climbed out of Lady's cab, and a thought crossed her mind. Could she really touch Lady's boiler, and not get burned, even after Lady just got back from a long run? Curious, she carefully laid a hand on Lady's boiler. Much to her surprise, Lady's boiler wasn't broiling hot. It had an immense soothing warmth instead, like fresh laundry, and Lily felt a strange tingling sensation run up her arm. She considered it for a moment, and then nestled against Lady's warm boiler. This would definitely be nice in the colder winter weather.

Burnett chuckled as he watched Lily snuggle into Lady's immense warmth. Tasha had done that many times before when the visited Lady in the winter, or while he was working on Lady late at night. Not a single day goes by without him being reminded of his love for Tasha. He missed her dearly, but he has a granddaughter to watch over. Lady was definitely a huge help in this task, but Lady would be the one mostly caring for Lily. It was her job as an engine bonded to her precious Rider. She is to provide for Lily just as much as Lily is to provide for her.

"Comfortable?" Lady giggled. She missed the feeling of a Rider being so close to her. It meant her Rider was safe, and sound. Tasha had fallen asleep nestled against her like this many times. Lady was sure it was just as reassuring to Lily as it was to her. Lily knew she would never let anything hurt her.

"Yes, you're warm as fresh laundry." Lily sighed, and gently rubbed Lady's boiler. Lady gave her a sense of security. She knew Lady would guard her with her life. No one could match her great power anyway. Well, Diesel 10 was stronger than her, but Lady was more powerful when it came to magic. Perhaps Lady could teach her how to use magic some day.

Lady began to make a deep rumbling sound, a sound Lily had only heard once before when she was with Thomas and Mr. Conductor. Lady was purring, like a giant cat. It was a rare treat to hear this noise, but a Rider was able to hear this soothing sound constantly from the steamie they are bonded to.

"It's been a long time she's been petted there. Tasha did that constantly, and Lady always reacted the same way. She'd purr up a storm. If you think that's cute, scratch behind her funnel, Lily. I found it was her favorite place to be scratched." Burnett smiled. It was true. He had discovered that when he was younger. Lady hadn't changed much since then. Well, she grew up, but she still remained gentle, and sweet.

"Really?" Lily perked up. Burnett nodded. Lily smiled, and eagerly climbed onto Lady's buffer plate as Lady kept a watchful eye on her. Lily reached up, and began to scratch behind Lady's funnel. Lady purred even louder, and her whistle made a chirping noise. Lily smiled.

"She's just like a dog!" Lily giggled. Who knew steamies had sweet spots like dogs? She would have to learn more if she was to be Lady's Rider. It was required in order for her to understand Lady a bit more.

"Sometimes if you scratch her there long enough, she'll fall asleep. She's done that to Tasha a couple times." Burnett leaned back against Lady's warm flank, careful not to touch her scalding boiler and burn himself on accident. He had done it once, and he learned to be more careful around her afterwards. It was just a minor burn, but it still hurt, and that was from just barely brushing his hand on her boiler.

Lily continued to scratch to see if it was true, and sure enough, Lady started to nod off. Lily smiled. She had never seen anything like it. It was actually kind of cute. Steamies were supposed to be powerful predators, but it seemed that some are more gentle than others.

"Aw, that's so sweet." Lily whispered as Lady slowly fell asleep.

 **A/N: Woo-hoo! Another chapter done! The next chapter is already in the works, and I will have it up as soon as I can! Until then, see ya later!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: In this chapter, we will be meeting Diesel 10's Rider, and explore his background a bit. Yes, Diesel 10 has a Rider. He's not the malicious diesel we have come to know in Thomas And The Magic Railroad. A quick warning of slight language. Anyway, on with the story!**

Diesel 10 watched the teenage goth, his Rider climb all over him. It was annoying, but he couldn't harm his own Rider. The poor kid had been through a lot, and if it weren't for him, the boy would have probably died of a drug overdose, or found on the ground shot by a member of a rival gang. However, Diesel 10 could only take so much of the boy's nonsense.

"Now listen kid, I'm a doom bringer, not a jungle gym." Diesel 10 grumbled. Everett, the boy had been climbing all over him, and was his Rider, climbed down form his roof, and sat on his buffer plate with a shit eating grin, good ol' Everett.

"I know, but other times you don't seem to be bothered by it, and I'm not a _kid_. I'm a _young adult_ , get it right D10." Everett scoffed, and crossed his arms. Diesel 10's attitude had rubbed off on him apparently. The boy had managed to wriggle his way into the warship's, not so cold, heart one rainy night, the night they met. Everett had become involved in the wrong crowd, and became involved with a gang. Diesel 10 managed to get him out of it, and nudged him down the right path. Hard telling what his life was like before Diesel 10 had found him sitting out in the rain with just a soaked hoodie, and jeans on. He taught the child everything he knew, and the child felt like a son to him.

"Not bad, but you're still a teen, Everett. You're still a kid in my eyes." Diesel 10 smirked. It was true. He was going to see Everett as the child that was in desperate need of help he had grown to adore. Everett rolled his eyes.

"At least I wasn't _hanging around_ the viaduct." Everett chortled. Diesel 10 growled, and raised his claw. _That_ struck a nerve in the warship.

"If you weren't my Rider, I'd-" Diesel 10 was fuming. The teenager hardly ever dared to test his patience, but today he was just being a pain in the ass. Everett looked up at Diesel 10's claw, completely unphased by his threat. He knew Diesel 10 would never hurt him anyway.

"Hey! Hey! I was just trying to make a joke! Yeesh! My! My! You're grumpy today! What happened D10?" Everett raised an eyebrow. He was really pushing the warship's buttons.

"You know what happened! Those puffballs escaped!" Diesel 10 snapped. Everett whipped around to look at him, and for the first time in a while, the warship saw a hint of concern in the boy's eyes.

"That was over a year ago D10! What happened to the Diesel 10 I know, the sympathetic and caring one?" Everett's brow furrowed. Diesel 10 sighed, and lowered his claw. This was one of the few times Everett had become concerned about him. The boy had a point. He had taken the child under his wing, and helped him break his old harmful habits. They truly cared about each other's well-being, but they didn't like to show it, at least when they thought others were watching.

"Alright... Alright..." Diesel 10 sighed. He had learned patience from watching over Everett, and making sure he was safe. However, he had no patience for any steamie that dared to approach him. They would most certainly kill Everett the moment they get the chance. He couldn't let that happen. The boy was so young, but the steamies didn't care. That was why he had to be careful to hide his Rider in his claw whenever he got the chance. Everett stood up, and stroked his nose as if he were a horse.

"Hey, it's okay." Everett smiled. The boy hardly ever smiled, even around the warship he had grown to admire. Diesel 10 had to take these moments when he could get them. This boy meant everything to him. He was the child's caretaker, his protector. Diesel 10 returned the warm smile, and offered his claw to the boy.

"C'mon, let's see what kind of trouble we can get into." Diesel 10 chuckled softly. Everett climbed into Diesel 10's claw, a place he had grown to feel comfortable in. This was a place he could relax, and no longer fear the dangers of the outside world. The claw meant protection. Diesel 10 gingerly closed his claw around his Rider, and slunk away. He was able to crush steel in his claw with ease, yet be gentle enough to hold his Rider and not crush the child.

Everett sat Indian style in Diesel 10's claw, and watched the world pass by. Many times he had taken Diesel 10 for a ride after a long day. A nice ride at night never failed to relax the child. He knew he was safe with the warship. Sure, he had a bad temper, but that instilled fear in the steamies, and that meant protection from a fiery untimely demise. He looked down at the white wheel on his palm. It was giving off a soft glow. He had been a Rider for three years now. Most Riders were in their twenties, or early forties. They were lucky to survive for even a month. Everett was one of the few who were blessed with such a powerful engine to protect him. It felt odd to be the youngest Rider on Sodor, or at least he thought he was the only young Rider on Sodor.

 _Are there any Riders my age?_ Everett wondered. He looked up from his palm when he felt a familiar and powerful presence in his mind. Diesel 10 must had been eavesdropping on his train of thought.

 _I'm afraid I can't answer that, but..._ Diesel 10 started to prod at the boy's mind. It was another surprise test to see if Everett was able to shield his mind from attacks. Everett focused on the marking on his palm for a good two minutes, blocking out Diesel 10's attempts to enter his mind. He jumped a little when a steamie passed by and sounded its whistle. He had lost his focus, and Diesel 10 was able to break through his mental barrier.

 _Hmm... You need to work on your focus, but you're getting better. Laura taught you well._ Diesel 10 was grateful Laura had helped lift the burden from his shoulders. She was the first Rider Everett met, and quite possibly, was his first true friend. She was the only one Everett would open up to. Of course, Everett had grown more comfortable with opening up to Diesel 10. It was a necessity for a Rider.

"Stupid steamie..." Everett grumbled. Diesel 10 rolled his eyes. Everett was never fond of them. In fact, he avoided them as much as he could long before he became the warship's Rider. Diesel 10 couldn't blame the poor kid though. Steamies had turned into blood-thirsty monsters since the curse arrived on the island, and infected them. It seemed that only the diesels had a conscience. That gave them a sense of responsibility. It was up to them to protect the townsfolk.

 _It wasn't the steamies fault this time. You lost your focus. Here, I'll teach you a little trick a learned when I was younger._ Diesel 10 let Everett enter his mind, and let his Rider see through his eyes. He focused on the rails, and when another engine passed by, he quickly shifted his focus to the engine, then returned his attention to the rails passing by.

 _You can change your focus onto different objects, or even memories, but it's more difficult than focusing on just one object, or memory. When you change your focus, you have to be fast. Otherwise, the enemy will break through your mental barrier, got it?_ Diesel 10 booted Everett out of his mind, and looked up at his claw, waiting for his Rider to reply.

 _Yeah, I guess._ Everett shrugged. It was much more complicated than the technique Laura had shown him, but it was more effective in deflecting mental attacks.

 _Good, now you try it._ Diesel 10 immediately began to prod at the boy's mind again. Everett immediately focused on the marking on his palm once more, and this time, he changed his focus to an engine that passed by, then returned his focus to his palm. He was able to keep Diesel 10 out of his mind for about ten minutes. This was the longest time he had ever been able to protect himself from the warship. Diesel 10 suddenly shifted his claw, rattling Everett, and breaking his focus. Diesel 10 immediately entered the boy's mind.

 _Hey, you cheated!_ Everett frowned, and sensed a smile from Diesel 10. Of course Diesel 10 wouldn't play fair. However, he was being realistic here. There were many distractions in battle, and Everett would have to learn how to defend himself both physically and mentally. Diesel 10 was merely giving Everett a glimpse of what it would be like in the midst of battle.

 _But you were much better than before._ Diesel 10 smiled. He knew one day, he and Rider would be called to action, and Everett needed to be prepared for when the time comes. Everett perked up when he heard a familiar horn, and reached out to the diesel with his mind.

 _Hey Diesel, what's up?_ Everett sensed a smile from the black shunter. The diesel was like an uncle to him. He was family.

 _Nothin' much, how's the boss?_ Diesel asked the boy. The warship never really talked about his mental health or problems with anyone, so the other diesels simply asked Everett if he was doing well. They were keeping a watchful eye on their leader, the alpha of their pack.

 _He's a little grumpy today, but he's doing good. How's Laura doing? Is she okay?_ Everett was right to be worried about his mentor and friend. She was the most recent victim of an attack from one of those wretched steamies, and he was there to witness it. Thankfully, he called for Diesel 10, and saved Laura's life, but she didn't escape unscathed. It pained him to see the strong spirited woman he had grown to see as a friend, crippled and in pain.

 _She's doing better. Hey, thanks for saving her back there, kid. If it wasn't for you, and Diesel 10... man... I don't know._ Diesel was truly grateful Everett had saved his Rider's life. Words could not describe how thankful he was when Everett, and Diesel 10 saved her from a gruesome and fiery demise. He was in their debts.

 _I couldn't just sit there, and watch that steamie kill her. We have to stick together in hard times right?_ Everett hinted a smile. It was true. Everyone could use a bit of help these days. He heard stories about when the island was actually a safe place, but he hardly believed them. This feud had been going on for years, long before he was born. If they were true, why would the engines suddenly start fighting each other? There had to be more to it than what the engines were letting on. Perhaps he could snoop around, and find the reason for all this suffering and chaos.

 _Right. You know, you're not so bad, kid._ Diesel had quickly taken a liking to Everett the moment Diesel 10 brought him to the dieselworks, and started to care for the boy. He was glad Diesel 10 had brought the boy from the brink, and helped him kick his old and harmful habits. He seemed to be just what Everett needed. Good thing too. If Diesel 10 hadn't made him his Rider several years ago, hard telling what would have happened to Laura when she was attacked. Everything happened for a reason. Perhaps this was why he was chosen.

 _You're not too bad either. Say, how about we all gather for a meeting sometime?_ Everett leaned back and relaxed in Diesel 10's claw. It had been quite some time since they all gathered to catch up on the news, and share stories. They did this at least once a month, but now it seemed necessary to do it more than just once a month. They had to make sure every diesels' Rider was safe.

 _Sure, what does the boss think?_ Diesel raised an eyebrow. Nothing goes through without Diesel 10 knowing about it, and his word was law. No one argued, or questioned his leadership. He ruled supreme over the diesels on Sodor.

 _I'll ask him._ Everett withdrew, and reached out to the warship. Diesel 10 jumped a little, but relaxed when he realized it was his Rider. He was always on guard. He could take on one steamie, but not several. His power was limited, and he had to avoid conflict when his Rider was in his company. He couldn't risk his Rider getting injured or killed in the crossfire.

 _Hey, what do you think of us, and the diesels hanging out for a while sometime?_ Everett asked the warship. He sensed a smile from Diesel 10. Apparently, he approved of it.

 _That sounds nice. Does anyone else know about it?_ Diesel 10 looked back at his claw, where his Rider was safe and sound.

 _Diesel does. He could spread the word. When, and where do you want everyone to meet at?_ Everett asked. Diesel 10 was silent for a moment. Everett had an idea where Diesel 10 would suggest to have their meeting. The scrapyard was a safe haven for the Riders. No steamie would dare to venture into that mass grave. Diesel 10 has left him with the Ironsworks Twins before, and he hadn't seen a single steamie that day. It was one of the few places he could relax.

 _How sometime tonight at the scrapyard?You said Diesel would invite everyone there, correct?_ Diesel 10 suggested. Everett smirked. He was right after all.

 _Sure. Yeah. I'm sure Diesel would let everyone know about it._ Everett replied.

 _Then tell him, and have him spread the word. We will gather tonight at the scrapyard for a meeting._ Diesel 10 withdrew. Everett reached out to Diesel once more, and told him the news. Diesel raced off to spread the news to the others. He had to be careful however. He could not let any steamie overhear it, or their Riders would be in danger of being massacred.

 **A/N: Well, here's another chapter done, and out of the way! How's that for a first impresion? The next chapter is already in the works, and will be out shortly! Until next time, see ya later!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Woo-hoo! Another chapter. Here we will learn the truth about Tasha's death. I listened to Lelina's Song by Malukah. It really fit the mood for this chapter. A quick warning of some angst in this chapter in case you're not into that. Anyway, on with the story!**

"Is there any other way to create a magical engine?" Lily whispered to keep Lady from waking up, and to prevent Lady unleashing her wrath on the first person she sees. She knew all too well that awakening Lady was like waking a sleeping dragon. Despite Lady's relatively calm demeanor, she had a fiery temper, and to disturb her slumber would most certainly anger her. It was best to just let her rest rather than risk invoking the beautiful engine's wrath. Burnett rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn't too sure as to how to explain in a child friendly manner.

"Well... um... you can request to have your engine bred." Burnett felt a bit awkward talking about this. It was like explaining where babies came from to a toddler. Lily blushed, and looked down at the concrete floor.

"I see.." Lily decided not to press further into the subject. Good thing Lady wasn't awake to hear that. Lady would have been blushing like mad if she was awake. Both Lily, and Burnett froze, and held their breath as the shed door creaked open, afraid it would have awakened the sleeping dragon of an engine between them. Much to their relief, Lady stirred, bit didn't awaken. Patch entered the shed, and closed the door behind him. He froze when he saw Lady fast asleep, and looked at Burnett to ask if it was safe to approach them.

"It's okay, just keep the noise down." Burnett whispered. Patch slowly, and reluctantly joined them, watching Lady like a hawk at the corner of his eye for any signs of her waking, but she was sound asleep.

"Are you sure, she's completely out?" Patch whispered, and carefully sat down on Lady's buffer plate next to Lily. Lily nodded.

"Yeah, just be careful not to wake her up again like last time." Lily snickered. Patch frowned. He had woken Lady on accident once, and he made sure to steer clear of her after that. He was much more jumpy around her after that.

"That was an accident! How was I supposed to know she was going to react like that?" Patch hissed. Burnett shook his head, and chuckled softly. The boy had only seen Lady when she was just a bit cranky, not full blown furious. Now that, was a scary sight. Lady was much worse than the fire-breathing dragons of legend with that temper of hers. He had tried to keep her under control, and that was one of the worst mistakes he had ever made. It almost cost him his arm, but he was fast enough to jump out of the way before she would've snapped her powerful jaws at him.

"Oh you've seen nothing yet. Wait 'till you see Lady when she's really angry, or when she's protecting the human she's bonded with." Burnett leaned back against the wall, and crossed his arms. Patch had no idea how lucky he was that Lady was in a good mood when she snapped at him after he woke her up.

"Who? You?" Patch titled his head to the side slightly. Burnett shook his head. Patch still had much to learn about the engines of Sodor, and knew nothing about the Riders. They were important to Sodor's history. They protected the island from harm for years, and now Lily was going to do the same when she grows up.

"No, Lady chose Lily." Burnett gestured to Lily, and Lily showed Patch the marking in her palm, the symbol of a Rider. Patch gently grasped her hand, and scrutinized the marking. He clearly had seen nothing like it before. He would have to get used to having a Rider for a friend, and learn more about Sodor's history to understand their significance to the island.

"What in the world is that?" Patch touched the marking on Lily's palm. It was cold as ice. He had never seen anything quite like it before. Apparently, he didn't know much about Lily after all.

"You see, Patch, the engines of Sodor can create a special bond between them and a person they really like. The person gets this marking on their palm," Lily pointed at the marking on her palm, "which shows the bond Lady had formed between me and her. These people are called Riders." Lily tried to explain this to a level where Patch would be able to understand. It was much easier to show him how the bond works, but she wasn't sure if she could reach out to him, or not. If she could, she didn't know how to show him the bond she shared with Lady. She probably had lots to learn now that she was a Rider.

"So, it's like that book about the kid, and the dragon that go on a quest to overthrow an evil king?" Patch raised an eyebrow at her. He was always an avid reader, so no surprise he was able to compare it to a story he had read.

"Yeah, it's sort of like that." Lily leaned back against Lady's boiler. It was still warm. Patch grimaced. He probably knew Lady's boiler was broiling hot, but the bond Lily shared with her protected her from the scalding heat.

"How does that not hurt? Mr. Stone burnt himself after touching Lady's boiler once." Patch asked her. Lily shook her head. She was perfectly safe thanks to the bond she shared with Lady. It provided her with a bit of comfort to know Lady would always be watching over her through this bond. Lady was much more powerful than a mere human, and would easily be able to protect her when she needed it most.

"No, but don't try it. Only a Rider can touch a steamie's boiler and not get burnt. The bond protects us from the heat, so we feel an immense warmth instead." Lily gently stroked Lady's boiler, making Lady let out a soft purr. Lily smiled, and softly patted Lady's boiler. Patch turned his attention to Burnett.

"Do the diesels have Riders too?" Patch asked the old man.

"Yes, they do." Burnett was silent for a moment. Lily needed to know about this. She needed to know the truth about Tasha's untimely demise. It would show her the many dangers she would face as a Rider, let alone the leader of the Riders.

"There's something I need to tell you, Lily. It's about Tasha." Burnett looked down at the concrete floor, and his voice grew solemn.

"What is it grandpa?" Lily didn't like where this was going. Burnett fought back tears as the memories came flooding back. The old wound started to bleed. He needed to tell her this. It was time she knew the truth.

"Being a steamie's Rider puts yourself in danger." Burnett felt a tear roll down his cheek. His dams were breaking. He needed to stay strong for his granddaughter.

"I didn't want to tell you this, Lily, but diesels and steamies don't like each other to the point they kill each other's Riders. Your grandmother, Tasha... she was killed by a rival diesel." Burnett sobbed softly. He couldn't hold his tears back any longer. His heart was hurting. Lily needed to know in order to understand the danger she now faced as a Rider. Lily looked at him, completely dumbfounded by this. Patch was just frozen in place, shocked by this secret he had been keeping in for so long.

"W-why?" Lily stammered. She was on the brink of tears. Tasha's life was taken out of cold blood. The feud between the two types of engines had spiraled out of control. It was a terrifying thought to fall victim to a diesel just like her grandmother.

"Steamies, and diesels don't get along. If they are to get to their enemies, they are to strike where it hurts. Lady... she tried to save Tasha... but... she was too late." Burnett sniffled. The truth was out. Lily was a primary target for the diesels. It would be a devastating blow to the steamies, and the vicious cycle would continue.

"I never thought they would... go that far." Patch lowered his head as a sign of respect. He never had seen Burnett cry before. The old man seemed so strong hearted to be the guardian of Lady, and the magic railroad. It was painful to see him like this. He was so kind to everyone. Why would a diesel take his love away from him out of spite?

"But not all the diesels are like that. Mavis, Salty, Rusty, Den, Dart, and Boco are among the few diesels that believe killing another engine's Rider is unorthodox. That's why I don't want you to venture out on Sodor on your own, Lily. I can't lose you too." Burnett wiped the tears from his eyes, and tried to pull himself together. Lily needed him to stay strong. He couldn't let himself spiral into depression again.

Patch crinkled his nose, and sneezed. Everyone froze when Lady stirred, and growled. It shook the ground beneath them, and they could feel it in their chests. Lady had awakened, and wasn't too happy about it either.

"Run!" Patch cried out, and they all ran out of the shed for their lives as Lady let out a roar that shook the whole mountain. The dragon had been awakened.

 **A/N: Now we know how Tasha died, and we learn a bit about Lady too. Be sure to pay attention because I will hint at Lady's little secret from time to time. Not even Burnett knows about it, but we will come to realize it eventually. The next chapter is already in the works, so it should be out shortly. Until next time, see ya later!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Woo-hoo! Another chapter already! We will see Lily realize her goal in this chapter that will be the start of her long journey to bring peace to Sodor. Also to Greg 14 (Guest), Diesel 10, and Everett will be making more appearances in the story, so don't worry. They will play a major role in this story. Anyway, on with story!**

Lily was in her bedroom Burnett's house, sitting on her bed, hugging her knees, and crying. A diesel killed, no, _murdered_ Tasha out of cold blood. She felt a mix of emotions. She felt both anger, and sorrow. She was angry the diesels had murdered her grandmother all because of this stupid feud. If the feud hadn't started, Tasha would still be alive, but Lily would not have been chosen by Lady. She was mournful because the steamies and diesels were killing each other's Rider just to get the upper hand. This feud had gone far enough. It needed to end before more innocent blood is spilled. She looked up out the window with tears streaming down her cheeks, and Lady's gentle, yet powerful, presence gingerly embraced her mind to comfort her.

 _It's okay, little one. I won't let that happen to you, Lily. I promise I will guard you with my life._ Lady's soft and smooth voice rang in Lily's mind. Lily could sense a hint of both guilt, and sorrow. Lady must had felt somewhat responsible for Tasha's death, but it wasn't her fault. It was the feud that turned the two types of engines against each other that killed her. The feud needed to end. The island desperately needed peace now more than ever.

 _It's not that. It's the fact that a diesel murdered Tasha all because of this stupid feud going on between you steamies, and the diesels. If you weren't fighting to begin with, Tasha would still be alive._ Lily sniffled, and wiped her tears with her shirt sleeve. She felt the guilt emanating from Lady in sickening waves. Was Lady... crying? Lily never thought she'd see the usually calm, and level-headed engine she had grown to adore cry.

 _I'm so sorry Lily! I let my guard down, and I couldn't get to her in time! It's all my fault!_ Lady wailed. Now she was just being hard on herself. Lady didn't know there was a diesel in the area. It wasn't her fault.

Lily's heart sank. It pained her to see Lady like this. _Lady, it's not your fault. You did your best, and that's all the matters. If that stupid diesel-_

 _It's not the diesel's fault Lily. Tasha died because of our on-going dispute._ Lady hiccuped, and slowly pulled herself together. She needed to stay strong for her Rider. Lily was silent for a few moments. She must had been doing the same.

 _Maybe if we make peace, grandma can finally rest easy, knowing it will never happen again._ Lily looked down at the comforter on her bed. She knew her grandfather wouldn't approve of it, but she needed to go to Sodor, and end this feud once, and for all.

 _She would like that, Lily. She would be proud of you, for she too wanted peace, just like you, but... she failed. It's up to you, little one._ Lady lingered in Lily's mind for several minutes to make sure Lily was okay. She had learned from her mistake. Tasha's death made her a better engine, a better protector for her Rider. She could not afford to lose Lily. Burnett would not be able to recover from such a loss, and she would not be able to live with herself if she let such a thing happen to the precious child that was her Rider. She withdrew when Burnett knocked on Lily's bedroom door and entered Lily's bedroom, leaving Lily alone to think about this.

"Lily, are you alright in there?" Burnett asked. Lily turned to him, and his heart sank. She had been crying this whole time. Well, what else was he to expect? Tasha, Lily's grandmother and Burnett's beloved wife, was brutally slaughtered by a rival diesel. He needed to make sure history wouldn't repeat itself, or he would lose Lily to the feud along with Tasha. It would be too much for him to handle.

"Yeah, I'm feeling a little better. Lady said, Tasha wanted the steamies, and diesels to get along is that true?" Lily sniffled. Burnett sat down on the bed beside his granddaughter, and rested a supportive hand on her shoulder.

"Tasha, your grandmother, couldn't stand the steamies and diesels kill each others Riders out of spite, so she and Lady set out to set things right. She managed to restore the peace a little, but... as you know... she didn't make much progress." Burnett had feared Lily would try to do the same, but he couldn't afford to lose her like how he lost Tasha. It would be too much for him to bear.

Lily gazed down at the comforter on her bed once again. It was true then. Tasha had tried to unite the island, but failed. It was right to pick up where she left off, and bring peace to the island in her honor. Tasha would have wanted her to do it, but Burnett wouldn't approve of her going to Sodor on her own. Well, she had Lady to protect her. Lady would make sure she was warm, and safe. She was a figure of authority now. A Rider had more power than Sir Topham Hatt by a long shot. It was her decision to make. It would be best if she didn't bring Burnett along, as the diesels would refuse to listen one of their biggest foes, but if she brought Patch along, the diesels just may pay attention, for they did not know him. Patch just might be able to help her convince the diesels and steamies to set aside their differences, and to band together, just as how it was so many years ago.

"At least she died doing what she loved, grandpa." Lily couldn't tell Burnett what she was planning. Burnett wouldn't allow it. She just needed Lady, and Patch to agree with her. She looked up at Burnett as he stood up.

"Well, supper's ready." Burnett smiled gently.

 **A/N: Now the story is starting to get a little more interesting. What do you think of Lily honoring her grandmother's name? Is she in the right, or do you think she's wrong? The next chapter is already in the works, and should be out shortly. Until next time, see ya later!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Finally! Another chapter! A brief warning of some violence in this chapter if you're not into that. Yes, MeC470 (Guest) I will be including OCs, and try to include as many characters as possible. However, I cannot create Riders for all the engines. It's a bit overwhelming, and anyone is free to create OCs of their own. I created the Riders and the curse, so that everyone can enjoy it, just credit me for the curse. That's all I ask. Anyway, on with the story!**

Back at the scrapyard on Sodor, all of the diesels and their Riders had gathered for their monthly meeting to catch up on the news, and to check up on each other's Riders. Laura, Diesel's Rider, was in crutches, wearing a cast on one of her legs, and wore bandages to cover the stitches used to close the enormous bite wounds the steamie had inflicted on her. She was one of the lucky ones.

Everett sat down beside her on Diesel's buffer plate. It killed him to see her like this. The woman he had grown to see as a friend rather than a mentor was crippled, and in pain.

"Hey, how are you feeling, Laura?" Everett asked her. Laura grimaced and grunted in pain. Her pain medications must be wearing off.

"I'm doing better. My meds are wearing off though." Laura tried to re-situate herself but the pain was too much for her to bear. She couldn't even make herself comfortable without being in pain. Diesel gently nuzzled her with his nose.

"No, Laura, stay put. It'll only make it worse." Diesel murmured. He had been keeping a close eye on her, and making sure she didn't disobey the doctor's orders. She was to avoid strenuous activity, and to change her bandages at least twice a day. She was stubborn at first, but eventually complied when Diesel gave her an earful. She needed to rest if she wants to recover from such gruesome injuries.

"Is there anything I get for you right now, Laura?" Everett raised an eyebrow. Laura shook her head, typical Laura. The day she was attacked however, there was no way she would be able to escape unless he had intervened. The memory was still fresh in his young, now scarred, mind.

 _They were walking past the steamworks, and made sure to keep their distance from the rails. However, they were unaware of the narrow gauge rails that wound through, behind, and around it. It was quiet, too quiet. It was strange. Usually, the steamworks was swarming with steamies. Perhaps this was their lucky day. Their luck quickly turned for the worst when they heard a lion like roar. They had been spotted. Victor charged out of the steamworks at full speed, bent on slaughtering them both. Everett scrambled out of the way, but Laura wasn't fast enough. Victor sank his teeth into Laura's tender flesh, and Laura screamed in both agony and fear as Victor started to drag her back to the steamworks where he would have killed and devoured her._

 _Diesel, who was there to witness the horrific ordeal, quickly leaped into action, and rammed into Victor's side as an attempt to save his Rider. Victor released her, but turned his anger towards Diesel, and returned the devastating blow, but much harder than the shunter had rammed him. It knocked the breath out of Diesel, and derailed him. Helpless, he screamed his Rider's name as Victor quickly returned his attention to Laura, and crushed one of her legs in his powerful jaws. The scent of her blood had driven the steamie mad._

 _Everett feared that Victor would devour his mentor right in front of him, and desperately contacted Diesel 10, the engine he was bonded to. Thankfully, Diesel 10 wasn't too far away, and raced to the scene at full speed to save Diesel's precious Rider, and his own just as Victor was about to move in for the kill. Diesel 10 delivered a quick blow to Victor's flank, and Victor had finally had enough. The steamie retreated to the steamworks. He was smart enough to know he was no match for the warship. Laura was rushed to the hospital, and Diesel was sent to the dieselworks to be repaired._

The experience traumatized the boy, and he had been petrified of steamies ever since. If an engine Victor's size could do that much damage to a human, he could only imagine how gruesome an attack from a much larger steamie would be. That wasn't the worst part. Unlike the diesels, who just left the body to be found, the steamies usually devoured their victims. It was a sickening thought.

Belle, one of the fire engines on Sodor, was a prime example of that. She had already killed a workman, who had gotten a little too close to her Rider, within the first week she was here, or at least that's what he heard. He feared Belle the most for that reason. She was one of the worst, and was one of the steamies that killed the most people. She had a fiery temper, and an appetite to match. She was to be avoided at all costs. Not even Diesel 10 would mess with her. It didn't matter if her next victim was a diesel Rider, or someone who simply worked at the Search and Rescue Center. If they got too close to her Rider, they were good as dead.

Everett himself hadn't seen her Rider, and he would rather keep it that way. However, he had seen a little boy in her cab several times before, and he swore one time he heard the boy call her " _M_ _omma_ ". She was always gentle with him. It was amazing how such a bloodthirsty monster could be so sweet, and gentle with such a small, and fragile child. Perhaps, she had a soft side after all. That meant she wouldn't attack anyone in front of the child. She wouldn't be that cruel right?

 **A/N: Belle, and her Rider will be introduced in the next chapter, and it is already in the works. We will be able to see just how bad she really is, but until then, see ya later!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Woo-hoo! I'm on a roll! A brief warning on mentions of child abuse in this chapter. Blue Leader (Guest),Thomas is the only member of the Steam Team that has a Rider at the moment, but once again, anyone is more than happy to create OCs. I made this for everyone to enjoy, just please credit me for the curse, and my characters if you use them. I have thought about writing different stories about how the engines met their Riders. They won't be out until I belt out the sequel to this though. Yes, I have already decided to write a sequel to this story. Anyway, on with the story!**

Belle looked down at the little boy, who was sitting on her buffer beam, and nestled against her under her smokebox, and smiled gently. This child was her little one, her Rider, but it felt he was more like her kit than a mere human. She was fiercely protective of her Rider. She worse than a fire-breathing dragon guarding her hatchling. However, Flynn was the only one she allowed to interact with her Rider, aside from fellow steamies. Together, the two fire engines kept a watchful eye over the boy, but Flynn was nowhere near as protective as Belle, and kept her in check. However, they couldn't be together all the time if multiple fires broke out, so he couldn't intervene if Belle lashed out at an innocent bystander if they dared to try to even talk to the child. It wasn't an easy task, but he was doing his best. The curse had awakened something deep within the steamie, and it wasn't pretty. All he could do was keep her on a leash as best he can, but he couldn't be there 24/7.

"Momma?" the little boy looked up at Belle, his protector.

"What is it, little one?" Belle's tone of voice was gentle, almost loving, and her fiery gaze grew soft when she heard the child's voice. She had taken the child under her wing just only a few months ago, and she formed the bond between her, and the child just a week after meeting him. He desperately needed her help, her protection, and she answered the child's cry for help.

"Can I stay with you, and Flynn tonight?" the little boy asked her. He had always wanted to spend the night with her, and Flynn, but it was just too dangerous. It killed her to tell him no, but he would be safer at his house with his real mother than out here.

"I'm afraid not, Danny. It's for your own good, little one." Belle replied. Her heart sank when she saw the boy's face fall. She couldn't bear to see him so disheartened, but she couldn't risk giving a diesel an opportunity to harm her precious Rider.

"Okay." Danny looked down at the ground, and sighed.

"Hey, cheer up, kid. At least your father can't hurt you anymore. She's only doing this to keep you safe, just as how she almost... hurt him." Flynn managed to cheer up the child a little bit. It was true. Belle had almost killed the boy's father, and she would have if he hadn't placed himself between them. Yes, killing Danny's father would be justified, but the police should handle it, not them. She just lost all control, and hunted Danny's father down until she had him cornered. If he hadn't intervened, it wouldn't have been pretty. Belle would have probably ripped the man apart as slowly as possible to make him suffer for what he had done to the child she had grown to see as her kit, her child. He shuddered at the thought of her feasting on the man's flesh. The curse was merciful to him, and made him a herbivore, but Belle was a ruthless, and bloodthirsty carnivore. The curse had turned her into a monster.

Danny snuggled into Belle's immense warmth, and he could hear Belle's heartbeat beating at a steady, and soothing cadence. It was a reminder of how much she loved him. She would never let anyone hurt him ever again. She promised she would protect him as long as she lived, or as long as he was her Rider. He hadn't met any of the other Riders yet, but he wanted to. It would be nice to make a few new friends in the ranks, but for now, he just wanted to just sit there, and listen to the beating of Belle's heart.

Belle chuckled softly. She remembered the day she met the child. He came here on a school field trip, and couldn't help, but notice that he was wearing a sweater, and sweats on a rather warm day. She pulled him aside, and asked him about it. That was when Danny told her about his father abusing him, and rolled up his sleeves to show her the cuts, and bruises his father had given him the day before. Belle was horrified by this, and promised him she would protect him as best she could.

Not even a week later, he ran to her, crying with a black eye, and bloody nose, and told her that his father had beat him again. Belle felt something deep stir within the darkest part of her very soul: anger, fury, _rage_. She stormed off to hunt down Danny's father, and slaughter him on the spot. She found him, and cornered him. She couldn't wait to sink her teeth into him, and tear him apart, but Flynn placed himself between them just before she was going to go in for the kill. If he hadn't stopped her, the man's remains would be completely unrecognizable.

Danny's father was sentenced to life, not for his crimes, but to protect him from Belle's rage. She would have waited for him to be released, and slaughtered him the moment he stepped out of that prison. She was still angry at him, but at least Danny was safe. That was when she decided to create the bond with him in case he ran into trouble, or was hurt. That way, she would always be in contact with him, and he could contact her if he needed her. Her train of thought was cut off, when Danny spoke up again.

"Can I stay with you when I get older, momma?" Danny looked up at her once more. Belle had never thought about that. If he was older it would be different. He would know how to defend himself then. It would be better off if he stayed with her than anywhere else.

"Of course, little one." Belle smiled gently, and licked his cheek. Danny giggled, and wiped the spit off his cheek. Belle longed to have kits, but so far she had no luck in finding a mate. She could try to convince the owner of the Search and Rescue Center to give a laboratory a call, but she doubted he would do it. It was far too expensive, and she couldn't afford any distractions when it came to saving lives. Not to mention the fact she wouldn't be able to fight fires while she was carrying. Flynn couldn't do that all by himself. Her train of thought was interrupted once again when the alarm bell rang. It was about time they finally got some action around here.

"Get in my cab, little one. There's an emergency." Belle gently urged the boy. Danny nodded, raced to her footplate, and climbed into her cab just as Harold returned to give them the news. Belle's heart sank when Harold told them the location of the fire. It was Danny's house. The poor child had been through enough as it is. This was the last thing he needed. She sensed a bit of worry from Danny.

 _Mommy... is she going to be okay, momma?_ Danny whimpered. The boy's mother was all he had left since his father was arrested. If he lost her, Belle would _have_ to let him stay with her, and raise him as her own. It was a daunting task, but it could also be rewarding. She hoped Danny's mother was away from home, and was a safe distance from the fire. All she could do for now was reassure him to keep him from panicking.

 _I'm sure she's fine little one. We'll be able to save her before the fire gets too bad._ Belle looked back at her cab, and she felt a wave of relief from the child. She lingered in his mind to help keep him calm. Danny welcomed her warm , and gentle mental embrace. Her presence was like a security blanket for him.

Belle sounded her whistle, and Flynn sounded his siren. Together, they raced off to Danny's house, praying the boy's mother was alright. It was a sound that excited the child. It was a sound that was familiar to him, but this time was different. Danny couldn't help, but worry about his mother. Sure, Belle was like a second mother, but he couldn't live without either of them. Hopefully, they would get there in time, but Danny feared the worst.

 **A/N: Well, there's another chapter done. For those, who don't know, a kit, or kitten is a baby steamie. That's pretty much what they are when they are babies, just giant kittens, and being licked by a steamie is the equivalent to a kiss, kind of a dog or a cat. They may also groom humans they like as a sort of bonding exercise. We will find out what happens to Danny's mother in the next chapter, which is already in the works. Until then, see ya later!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Holy moly, almost a thousand views already?! You guys are awesome! Thank you all for your continued support. It really means a lot to me. Without you guys, I wouldn't be writing today, and the idea of the Riders never would have been shared! We will be picking up where the last chapter left off with little Danny, and Belle. Anyway, on with the story!**

Both Flynn, and Belle screeched to a stop, and Danny lurched forward a bit. The sudden brake had knocked him off balance a little. Immediately, Flynn started to extinguish the fire. Belle wanted to ask the crews if Danny's mother was still inside, but she needed to help put out the fire before anything else. They couldn't allow the fire to spread. Belle aimed her water cannons at the blaze, and focused. Water gushed out of her cannons, and onto the flaming building.

Belle could hear Danny, her precious Rider, whimpering. He had every right to be scared. He could loose his mother today, and that would be too much for the child to handle. Belle looked back at her cab, and reached out to him. Fear, and worry emanated from the boy in waves. He was terrified.

 _It's alright, little one. I'm sure you're mother is safe and sound._ Belle put on a brave face for her Rider, but honestly, she wasn't sure if Danny's mother was alive. The best she could for now was keep him calm. It killed her to see him like this. She was his protector, but there was little she could do for him at the moment. All they could do was hope his mother was a safe distance from the fire, and was safe.

By the time, the fire was out, the house was nothing, but a pile of smoldering rubble. The house was a total loss, but there was still something that needed tending to, Danny's mother. Turned out, she was inside the house during the fire, and suffered several burns. Thankfully, she was still alive. Belle, and Flynn let out a sigh of relief.

"Is mommy gonna be okay?" Danny asked them as his mother was rushed to the hospital. Belle knew they had no choice, but to let Danny stay the night with them. They were the closest thing to his real parents, and he had asked to stay over with them many times before. Perhaps this could take his mind off his mother for a bit, and make him feel a bit better.

"She'll be fine, little one. You'll have to stay the night with us tonight." Belle smiled gently. She chuckled as Danny cheered, and jumped up and down with excitement.

"At least he's happy." Flynn whispered to Belle. Belle nodded. This was something the boy needed. However, that didn't mean she was going to let her guard down for even a second. She needed to stay vigilant for any threats. She promised Danny she would protect him as long as she lived. This was a promise she couldn't afford to break. She needed to protect her Rider at all costs.

"Yeah. He's been asking us that constantly anyway. C'mon, let's go home." Belle gestured for them to return to the Search and Rescue Center. Together, Belle, and Flynn headed back to the Search and Rescue Center, with Danny in tow.

That evening, Belle settled into her spot in the shed by the Search and Rescue Center next to Flynn. She grew soft as Danny nestled against her warm boiler. He had done this many times before, but it never got old for her. He was her kit, her child, even if he wasn't an engine in the first place. She snarled at any human that dared to get too close. The humans fled knowing what was in store for them if they didn't heed her warning.

She yawned like a cat, revealing her huge canines that were specifically designed to rip flesh from bone. She looked back at Danny, and chuckled softly when she saw he was fast asleep against her warm boiler. She looked over at Flynn, who had the same gentle look in his eyes, and smiled.

"He's a cute little fella." Flynn whispered, and chuckled softly.

"Yes, he is." Belle looked back at Danny to check on him when he stirred a little, but didn't awaken. The heat of the warm fire inside her had lulled the child into a deep sleep.

"Poor little fella... he's been through so much." Flynn had a special place in his heart for the child. He took to him the moment he laid eyes on the poor boy, and was glad Belle had chosen Danny as a Rider. He needed it. Belle chuckled softly.

"No kidding." Belle yawned, flashing her fangs once more.

"We better get some sleep. We'll need all the strength we can get tomorrow." Belle knew Danny was probably going to have to spend the whole day with the tomorrow, or until his mother recovered, which ever came first. Which meant she would have to be ready to come to the rescue at any second, _and_ keep an eye on Danny until he and his mother find a new home.

"Right," Flynn yawned, and they both drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Belle woke up, and yawned. She looked back at Danny, who was sound asleep. She smiled, and reached out for him.

 _Danny... it's time to wake up._ Belle gently urged him awake. Danny stirred, and slowly opened his eyes. He stretched, and rubbed the fatigue from his eyes.

"Good morning, momma." Danny yawned, and slid off her bumper.

"Good morning, little one." Belle gently nuzzled him with her nose. Danny giggled. She let him get himself something to eat in the Search and Rescue Center. Normally, she wouldn't do this, but she had no choice. She looked over at Flynn, who was still asleep, and snoring.

"Hey, wake up." Belle gently nudged him. Flynn grunted, and slowly opened his eyes.

"What's wrong? Is Danny okay?" Flynn yawned, and stretched like a cat.

"He's fine. He's just getting some breakfast." Belle gently reassured him. Flynn rolled out of the shed to warm himself in the morning sun. He lacked the internal fire Belle had, so the sun provided him with the warmth he needed to be able to move around. In the winter, when the sun was obscured by clouds, Belle provided him the warmth he needed by letting him lean against her. They worked together to keep each other going, and protecting Danny, making them a whirlwind of danger to anyone who dared to lay a finger on little Danny. Not even Diesel 10 would dared to try to harm Belle's precious Rider.

Belle's smile faded when she saw Danny talking to an employee in the window.

 _Don't you dare hurt my baby..._ Belle's lips lifted into a snarl, and she growled deep in her chest, making the ground shake. The fire inside her rose, and black smoke came out in tendrils from her nose, and between her teeth. She was ready to slaughter anyone in her way to protect her Rider. Flynn sighed, and looked back at her.

"Belle, he's fine. I know him. He wouldn't hurt Danny." Flynn had done this many times before, and was deemed a savior to most. He had saved numerous employees, and citizens from Belle's wrath. It wasn't an easy task, nor the smartest, but someone had to keep her in check. If he didn't, then no one would.

Belle reluctantly relaxed, and her fire lowered, but she didn't take her eyes off the window. She was watching the employee like a hawk.

 _If anyone hurts my baby, they're good as dead._ Belle growled softly.

 **A/N: So Danny got his wish in the end, but it came at a cost. Flynn keeps Belle on a leash, but that doesn't mean she's safe to approach. The next chapter is already in the works, and we will learn a little bit about Lady's kittenhood, and about steamies themselves, but until then, see ya later!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Here we will see just a peek as to how the curse has altered the engines, more specifically, the steamies, using Lady as an example. Anyway, on with the story!**

Back at Shinning Time, Lily was fast asleep in her bed at Burnett's house in the countryside. Lily groaned, and covered the side of her head with her pillow when she felt Lady reach out for her. What could she possibly want this early in the morning?

 _Lily... Lily... LILY!_ Lady's voice became a roar in Lily's mind. Lily yelped in surprise, and fell out of her bed, and onto the wooden floor. She groaned, and sat up.

 _What?!_ Lily rubbed her sore head. Lady better have a good reason for waking her up like this.

 _It's time to get up, little one. I don't want a lazy Rider._ Lady must have been awake for a while now. No surprise there. Lady was used to waking up at the crack of dawn, but Lily wanted to sleep in at least a couple hours today. Apparently, Lady had other plans. Burnett burst into Lily's room. He must have heard her fall out of bed.

"Are you okay?" Burnett helped her stand up. Lily yawned, and rubbed the fatigue from her eyes.

"Yeah, Lady woke me up." Lily replied. Burnett shook his head, and sighed. She did the exact same thing with Tasha. That's one thing that hadn't changed.

"Lady, what am I going to do with you?" Burnett chuckled.

Lady was in her shed, soaking up the morning sun that shined through the windows. The fire inside her was getting low. She needed to feed soon. The usual mice really didn't appeal to her at the moment. It was the same thing everyday, unless a hiker sought shelter in her shed. It was rare, but she couldn't pass up the opportunity for an easy meal now could she? She reached out to Lily, who seemed a bit annoyed with her surprise wake up call.

 _Could you bring me some table scraps? I'm getting a little peckish._ Lady raised an eyebrow. Lily sighed. If she was to be a Rider, she would have to get used to this. It was just as equal to provide for her than it is for Lady to provide for her Rider.

 _Sure._ Lily shrugged. Lady smiled, and withdrew. Perhaps, she could take Burnett, and Lily to Sodor again. She would have to stay low, and keep a close eye on Lily. She was willing to slaughter anyone who stood between her, and her Rider, even if Burnett forbid it. She perked up when she heard footsteps, and sniffed the air. It was Patch, a friend of Lily's. Patch knocked on the door. He started doing this after waking her by accident to make sure she was awake before he entered.

"Mr. Stone, are you there?" Patch called out, hinting a bit of fear in his voice. Lady chuckled. The boy had some guts to come see her again after what happened the a couple days ago, either that, or he wasn't very smart.

"No, but you can come in if you want." Lady squinted at the bright light as the shed doors opened, letting in the warm morning sun. Patch entered her shed, and carefully closed the doors behind him. Patch didn't approach her right off the bat, smart boy. He knew her too well.

"So, how are you feeling?" Patch was making sure she was in a good mood before approaching her. He knew better than to approach her while she was in a bad mood. Lady purred as a response. She was content for now. Patch flinched a little. It was easy for someone to mistake it for a growl. Well, someone who didn't know much about steamies wouldn't know the difference between the two.

"What kind of sound is that?" Patch shifted nervously. He never did trust her. It was probably better off that way. She would rather not have him get involved with the Magic Railroad. He could be Lily's friend, but that was it. She had enough to look after already.

"It was a purr. All steamies can do it, but we seldom choose to. It means we're well fed, and happy, or in other words, it mean we're safe to approach." Lady chuckled softly as she watched Patch reluctantly approach her, and sit on her buffer beam. He had every right to fear her. She was the most powerful engine on Sodor.

"Is Lily up?" Patch looked up at her. Of course he would ask that. He was always wanting to know how Lily was doing. Perhaps he saw her as more than just a friend. She would have to keep a close eye on him. She wasn't too keen on her Rider of being in a relationship at such a young age.

"Yes, I woke her up a little bit ago" Lady smiled as she recalled Lily falling out of bed from her rather rude awakening. She watched Patch reach up to touch the side of her smokebox at the corner of her eye, and he stopped, as if having second thoughts. Clever boy. He knew it wasn't smart to touch her without permission.

"May I?" Patch looked at her. Lady purred softly as a reply. Patch reluctantly laid a hand on her Lady's smokebox, and was surprised to find that she was still warm after cold night in the shed.

"You're still warm. Why is that?" Patch gave her a puzzled look. Clearly, he didn't know much about her kind.

"You see, Patch, we engines of Sodor aren't your average locomotives. We are bio-mechanical of sorts. We are a combination of metal, flesh, and blood. We steamies have one trait in particular that makes us stand out from the rest. We steamies have a fire burning inside of us. It burns all the time, even when we are asleep. It keeps us warm, and provides us with both a tool, and a weapon." Lady tried her best to explain this to a level where Patch would be able to understand. He seemed to understand her a little bit. At least he would know a little bit more about her kind now, but that was only scratching the surface. She only told him what he needed to know.

"What do you mean by a tool, and weapon?" Patch raised an eyebrow at her. Lady sighed. It was good he was asking questions, but she would rather not tell him everything there is to know about her kind. The information could be used against them. Well, as long as she doesn't tell him about an engine's vulnerable spots, he would be harmless.

"You see, Patch, when we get angry enough, or when our fire gets high enough, that fire has to go somewhere, which allows us to spit fire at our attackers, or on some occasions, roast the flesh of our prey before ingesting it. Although, it's useless to use it for that purpose since it's going to burn anyway, unless a human requires assistance in roasting meat, we would have no use for it really." Lady knew she would probably have to do that for Lily if they ever travel together. She would have to provide for her Rider. It was one of the many duties of an engine with a Rider. She would have to keep Lily warm, provide her with shelter, food, and protection. It was a big responsibility, but it was well worth it in the end.

"So, you're like a dragon?" Patch raised an eyebrow at her. That didn't surprise her much. He was always an avid reader. To compare her with such a creature of such awesome power, and majesty was actually quite flattering.

"You could say that." Lady replied. In a way, they were like dragons, but more of the dragons that gave the reptilian race a bad name, the ones who wanted nothing more than to conquer, and destroy all that stood in their way, taking what they want when they want, killing when the wish where they wish.

"That explains why smoke billows from your nose, and your mouth when you're angry. How do you fuel that fire inside you anyway?" Patch asked her. That was an easy question.

"We have to feed in order to fuel it. We have to feed constantly if we are to make sure our fire gets too low." Lady noticed Patch became a little uneasy at this. She chuckled softly. He had a right to be nervous around her. She had eaten humans before, but she rarely chose to.

"Don't worry, you're safe. Besides, Burnett, and Lily wouldn't be very pleased if I ate humans anyway." Lady made sure Burnett didn't know about this. He would probably feel sick if he knew she had fed on human flesh before. It was better off to keep it as a secret.

"Oh man, I can already imagine how much money Burnett spends to keep you fed. I'm sure he gets some strange looks at the supermarket." Patch chortled. Lady gave him a warning glance, and growled softly. Patch immediately grew quiet. He shouldn't insult her, nor her caretaker, even if he didn't mean it.

"I'm not dependent on him. I can hunt for my own food. There's usually plenty of mice in here for me to eat." Lady gave him a dirty look. Patch seemed a little spooked. Perhaps it was better that way. She could instill fear in him to keep him in line.

Eventually, Lily, and Burnett dropped by Lady's shed to check on her. Lily fed Lady while Patch told her all that Lady had told him. Lily knew very little about Lady either, no surprise there. Lady would rather keep her more darker secrets to herself anyway.

"What do you eat exactly?" Lily was afraid to ask her that. So many hikers had gone missing in this mountain this year. Mountain lions weren't much of a problem, but Lady would refuse some of the food that was offered to her time to time. She had a sneaking suspicion Lady was behind it, but Lady was so gentle with her. Why would she devour a defenseless human that was minding their own business?

"That you'll have to find out for yourself." Lady smirked. Lily rolled her eyes, typical Lady. She only raised more questions than answers. However, Lily knew it was possible to determine an animal's diet from looking at their teeth. Perhaps it was the same for an engine.

"Then can you open your mouth?" Lily raised an eyebrow. Lady didn't respond, and looked at her expectantly. Lily sighed.

"Please?" Lily added, and Lady opened her powerful jaws, revealing her huge serrated canines. Lady was definitely a carnivore.

"Holy crap! Look at the size of 'em!" Patch climbed up onto Lady's buffer beam to get a closer look. He ran his finger along the edge of one of her impressive canines. They were razor sharp. She could probably kill just about anything with such an impressive set of fangs.

"Imagine being bitten by her." Patch grimaced. Lily shuddered at the thought of Lady sinking her teeth into a human's soft flesh. She would be able to kill a grown man with ease.

"It hurt plenty enough when she was a kit, but now a bite from her would be fatal." Burnett leaned back against the wall. Lily turned to him. She couldn't believe what he had just said. Lady was so sweet, and loving to her. It was impossible for her to picture Lady even hurting a fly.

"She was only playing. It didn't do a whole lot of damage. It just hurt like crazy. She knows to be gentle with us now." Burnett replied, and showed them a couple old and small scars on his hand. It was true, she was only playing with him, but it still hurt.

"Ouch," Patch grimaced. Lady's jaws would probably be able to crush steel now. She was definitely not to be messed with when she was in a bad mood. Burnett shook his head, and chuckled.

"When she was little, her teeth felt like little daggers. Now it would probably feel like being impaled." Burnett knew Lady was able to kill a human in a single bite. However, they were not just for killing, and holding prey. They were designed to drain energy. All magical engines had this special trait.

"Does Thomas have a Rider?" Lily decided to change the subject. She didn't like hearing the danger Lady posed to a human, and how easy a human was to kill for her. It was part of her nature to kill, but she wouldn't kill a human, right?

"Yes, he does, but I don't know who it is. Ironically, his Rider is in love with Ashima's Rider." Lady chuckled.

"Is Ashima Thomas's current love interest?" Lily asked Lady.

"She's one of his mates. We generally accept more than one mate to keep the diversity in the gene pool." Lady replied.

 _I wonder how Ashima is doing?_ Lily thought.

 **A/N: As you can tell, Lady is not what she seems, and Ashima will appear in the next chapter to two. A steamie may choose more than one mate if they wish. It ensures the diversity of rolling stock. Diesels however, choose just one mate. The next chapter is already in the works, but until then, see ya later!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: As promised, here's Ashima's part. This will give us a glimpse into her everyday life with her Rider. To Fireman (Guest), Connor, and Caitlin have no Riders at the moment, but anyone is more than happy to create Riders of their own, and include their OCs. I made this for everyone to enjoy. A quick warning of some violence in this chapter. Anyway, on with the story!**

Ashima was resting in a siding, basking in the sun, while Roland, her Rider, was asleep on her back. Today was perfect. Her fire was burning strong, and the sun felt like hot coals against her metal hide. The villagers had just finished giving her tribute, or food offerings. They did this at least twice a week. She licked her lips as she recalled the long line of humans that were waiting to feed her. They didn't have to do this. She didn't force them to give her tribute, unlike Rajiv, who demanded it, and instilled fear in the villagers if they refused. They both needed all the energy they could get in order to keep the village safe, but Ashima preferred to hunt for her own food, not be fed like some pampered pet. She yawned like a cat, flashing her fangs before drifting to sleep.

A few hours later, she awakened to the soft sound of human clearing their throat. She looked down, expecting to see the Controller of the railway, and was surprised to see a little boy standing before her. The child held up a scrap of food to her. He must had been late. Oh well. It didn't really matter. She was full, but she lazily snatched up the morsel, and swallowed it whole anyway. No point in letting food go to waste. She let the child climb up onto her buffer beam. She was used to having the village children climb all over her. The boy pointed up at her Rider, who was laying on her back, dozing in the sun. The boy wanted her to get Roland's attention.

"Roland. Roland. Roland!" Ashima looked back at the human resting on her back. Roland woke up with a start, and slowly sat up.

"What is it?" Roland yawned. Ashima gestured to the boy.

"He wants to talk to you." Ashima replied. Roland climbed down from her back, and onto her buffer beam. He looked down at the boy, and leaned back against Ashima.

"Hey there," Roland gave the boy a friendly smile.

"Silver-hand, something is attacking my family's livestock. Can you, and Ashima help us?" the boy pleaded. Roland looked back at Ashima, waiting for her answer.

 _Tell him yes. We'll help him, just ask him when the predator attacks._ Ashima looked at him from the corner of her eye. It had been awfully quiet for a while now. It was about time they got some action, even if it was just taking care of a nuisance animal. Roland nodded, and returned his attention to the boy.

"Yes, we'll help you. When is your livestock usually attacked?" Roland asked the boy. He knew what it was like all too well. He born in a family of farmers, and found Ashima when she was just a kit. He took her in, and raised her. It was amazing how such a powerful, and feared predator could start out as such an adorable, and innocent baby. It seemed yesterday he was bottle feeding her, and now she was taking down some of the largest animals in India.

"At night, Silver-hand." the boy replied. This was going to be interesting. It sounded like Ashima would be eating well tonight. He had an idea as to what it was. It was one of Ashima's favorites, but he couldn't jump to conclusions. It could be anything. It could be a pack of wolves for all he knew, but Ashima would have no problem in taking them down. He had seen he do it before, and she would certainly do it again if she needed to.

That evening, Roland, and Ashima arrived at the boy's thatch house. The boy, and his family peeked out of the window. Roland didn't blame them. This was a rare chance to see Ashima in action. Ashima sniffed the air, and immediately picked up the scent of her favorite prey. She gently urged Roland to hide in the house. This particular animal was far too dangerous for any human to tangle with. However, an engine would easily be able to kill it. She slunk into her hiding spot, a thick patch of brightly colored fauna, and patiently waited for her prey to come skulking by.

A few hours later, she perked up when she heard paw steps. Her prey had returned to feed on the livestock, just as how she had predicted. The livestock began to grow restless. A tiger had spooked the livestock. This was a delicacy for her. Tigers hardly ever bothered humans, bu when they did, Ashima was always the first to get to it. She silently slipped forward. The tiger was oblivious to her presence. The hunter was now the hunted.

Ashima slowly, and silently crept up onto her prey from behind as she sized the beast up. It was young, and was unaware of the danger closing in from behind. Ashima saw her chance, and made her move. She lunged forward with a ground shaking roar, and clamped her jaws shut on the tiger's spine, snapping its spinal cord in two, and paralyzing her prey. The tiger snarled, and scratched Ashima's cheek, but nothing was going to deter her from enjoying her favorite meal. She tossed the tiger aside as if it were a rag doll, and the tiger's back was slammed against a tree, leaving it in a bloodied, and crumpled heap on the ground. Ashima smiled wryly, and slowly moved in for the kill, knowing was helpless to flee. She finished the job with a quick bite to the skull.

She released the corpse, and licked the blood from her canines. The boy, his family, and Roland reluctantly left the house to see the tiger's corpse up close.

"Imagine if it tried to attack one of us." Roland shuddered. He couldn't believe how big the tiger was up close. They stepped back as black smoke billowed from Ashima's nose. Ashima inhaled deeply, opened her powerful jaws, and unleashed a jet of flame onto the tiger. The fur would give her indigestion, and she preferred her food to be cooked anyway. The horrible stench of burning hair made the humans crinkle their noses in repulsion. She cut off the stream of fire by snapping her jaws shut, and and blew a ring of smoke. She picked up the smoldering remains of the tiger in her jaws, and carried her kill to a secluded area to enjoy her meal in peace.

Once she was sure she was far away enough, she devoured her kill with relish. She didn't let anything go to waste, and licked the bones clean. When she was finished, she licked the blood from her lips, and returned to the humans.

"Thank you, Silver-hand. Is there anything we can give you in return?" the mother of the boy asked them. Roland looked at Ashima. He had everything he needed, but he wasn't sure about Ashima. He doubted Ashima would ask for anything. She preferred to get whatever she wanted herself, and not have it handed to her. She wanted to work for it.

 _No, unless you want something, Roland._ Ashima looked down at him. Typical Ashima. She didn't want to be pampered like a pet, unlike Rajiv, little brat. Rajiv was spoiled from the very beginning, and it carried all the way into adulthood. Despite that, he was willing to help... for a price. Every time he had to work, the Controller had to bribe him with either food, or being pampered. Ashima was the exact opposite. She wanted to work. She wanted to help the villagers in anyway she could.

"Thank you for your offer, but no." Roland smiled. He knew Ashima wanted to get this over with. She wanted to see her mate, _and_ he had a party to attend. Za'rok, a good friend of his, and a were-wolf, had invited him to his party last week, and it was almost time for the party to start. There was just one problem. Za'rok lived all the way on Sodor half way across the world. However, Za'rok gave them a solution, and taught them a spell. That way they could see each other anytime.

When the family finally left him, and Ashima alone, Roland climbed onto Ashima's back, and wrapped his arms around her dome. He had ridden on her many times like this. It was much more comfortable than standing in her cab for long periods of time. Ashima carried her Rider to a more secluded area and looked around to see if anyone was watching. She whispered a spell, and a portal opened. She felt Roland tighten his grip a little. She couldn't blame him. The journey through the portal could be a little rough at times. She just had to take it slow. She slunk through the portal, and headed for Sodor.

 **A/N: Well, that's another chapter done. The next chapter is already in the works. Until next time, see ya later!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Here's Ashima's second part. I included special Easter egg in this chapter. Eragon fans will pick it up right away. Anyway, on with the story!**

Ashima slipped through the other side of the portal, and came to a stop. They were in a siding on Sodor. It was evening here too. Roland loosened his grip a little, relieved they had finally reached the other side of the portal. This portal always led to Thomas's branch line. He was unfamiliar with this place, but Ashima knew more about this place more than he did.

Thomas slowed to a stop as he spotted the bright colors of Ashima in the dense foliage at a siding. Could she really be here? He slipped closer, and was overjoyed when he saw one of his mates in the siding. He approached her, and the two tank engines nuzzled each other purred. Elizabeth, Thomas's Rider, raced out of his cab, and eagerly climbed up onto Ashima's back. Roland embraced her, and kissed her, happy to see his love again.

"Thank goodness you're safe!" Elizabeth sighed in relief. Roland chuckled. She must have been worried sick about him. However, the feud was almost non-existent in India. They were more focused on protecting the villages they came from rather than killing each other's Riders.

"You know Ashima would protect me. You've seen her do it before remember?" Roland smiled. Ashima had protected him from a rival engine before, and would surely do so again. Thomas, and Ashima gazed into each other's eyes, and shared a moment of silence together. The energy between them was all they needed. After what seemed minutes, Ashima finally spoke up.

"So, Thomas, have you ever been to a were-wolf party before?" Ashima smiled. Thomas blinked in surprise. Apparently, Ashima got around more than he thought.

"No, why do you ask?" Thomas raised an eyebrow at her. Ashima looked at him in shock. She probably thought he had been to several parties himself with how popular he was. Despite his popularity, he preferred to keep to himself, and stayed at Tidmouth Sheds rather than run around. Ashima chuckled.

"If you haven't been to a were-wolf party, you don't know how to live. Do you want to come with me? I'm sure Za'roc wouldn't mind." Ashima asked him. Thomas thought about it for a moment.

"Why are _you_ going, Ashima?" Thomas asked her.

"Silly Thomas, I _have_ to go. I'm Roland's only mode of transportation, and I'd rather not have him walk all the way there, especially at night, and with your... disagreement with the diesels. So are you coming or not?" Ashima raised an eyebrow at him.

 _Well, who's going to watch over Elizabeth?_ Thomas wasn't too keen on leaving his Rider alone for several hours. He felt Elizabeth's familiar presence in his mind. She must have heard him.

 _I can go with you. Ashima said Roland's friend wouldn't mind if they brought friends. Or if you don't want me to go with you, you can just take me home, and spend time with Ashima if you want._ Elizabeth looked over her shoulder at him. Thomas saw no harm in bringing her along. They both hadn't seen their mates for a long time. Perhaps this was the perfect time to catch up, and spend some quality time with their lovers.

 _You can come with us, Elizabeth. It wouldn't be fair if Roland went, and you didn't. Besides, we both need to spend more time with each other's mates._ Thomas saw her smile. That gave him the answer he needed. He withdrew from the bond.

"Sure, we'll go." Thomas smiled. Elizabeth climbed down Ashima's back, and into Thomas's cab. Together, they all set off to have some much needed fun. Roland acted as a guide, telling Ashima where to turn, while Thomas, and Elizabeth trailed behind them. Much to Thomas's surprise, this _Za'roc_ was hosting a party at one of the abandoned sheds near the quarry. Out of all the places Za'roc could have chosen, he chose this place. Well, Ashima was to attend with Roland. Perhaps he didn't want Ashima to be left out.

Ashima came to a stop just inside the shed, and sniffed the air. There was so many different smells, but one stuck out the most. Za'roc had brought one of Ashima's favorite snack. Za'roc had brought his famous dinner rolls to the party.

 _Yes! Zo'rac made his dinner rolls!_ Ashima smiled. Roland chuckled, and patted her side. He must have known she had taken a liking to them, despite being a carnivore by nature.

 _I told Za'roc you liked them, so he made some for the party. Don't eat them all at once either._ Roland chortled. Ashima rolled her eyes.

 _You know I wouldn't do that. Everyone should get their fair share, and then I would eat what's left. I'd never take what is rightfully for you humans... and were-wolves, and you know it. It's immoral, and impolite._ Ashima looked back at him at the corner of her eye as Roland climbed off her back, and joined the group. Thomas pulled up beside her.

"Why do you like these parties so much anyway?" Thomas asked her. Ashima smiled. She knew something he didn't.

"You'll see." Ashima replied. Slowly, the guests started to pile in, and soon the shed was packed to the gills with were-wolves, and other supernatural beings. Turns out he didn't know Roland as well as he thought. Elizabeth seemed a bit shocked as well, but she quickly felt welcome by them. It wasn't long before the party started to get rowdy. The guests laughed heartily, and bellowed as they chugged down their ale, and asking for another round. The warm, and uplifting energy made Thomas realize just what he had been missing. They were carefree, and enjoying the time they spent with each other while it lasted.

Roland picked up a pea from his plate, and flung it across the table at Za'roc with his spoon, hitting Za'roc on the cheek. Za'roc jumped, taken by surprise at Roland's childish gesture, and looked at him with the biggest grin on his face. He wiped the remnants of the smashed pea from his cheek, and picked up his plate before standing on the table, stomped across the table, and smashed the food on his plate right into Roland's face. It was on. Elizabeth quickly ducked under the table. She knew what was about to happen.

"Get ready." Ashima whispered to Thomas. Thomas gave her a puzzled look.

"Ready for what?" Thomas asked her.

"FOOD FIGHT!" a were-wolf shouted, and everyone started to fling food at each like a bunch of children. Ashima snatched any morsel that missed it's target in her jaws, and quickly swallowed it before catching another, and another. Thomas tried to avoid getting dirty. He didn't want to look childish in front of his mate, until Za'roc picked up a dinner roll, and gestured for him to get ready. Za'roc was trying to get him to join the fun, and threw the dinner roll at him. Thomas caught the morsel in his jaws, and was taken aback by the sweet flavor of the roll. Now he knew what he was missing out on. He quickly swallowed it whole before joining Ashima, devouring any morsel that was thrown their way. Thomas even went as far as participating in a few trick shots.

"Go long!" Za'roc pointed, and smiled. Thomas reversed a bit, and Za'roc threw another roll at him. Thomas caught it with ease, and the were-wolves cheered. The party lasted for several hours, and by the time it was over, everyone was exhausted. Ashima had to return home with Roland on her back, and Thomas returned to Tidmouth Sheds with Elizabeth, too tired to take her home. Best. Night. Ever.

 **A/N: As you can tell, the were-wolves of Fantanzia are party animals, and can be quite childish at times, but that's what makes them entertaining to watch. Za'roc is the name of Eragon's first sword in the Inhieritance Cycle. I decided it was fitting to pay tribute to the series that inspired my own versions of Riders, and what better way than to name a character after Eragon's first blade? The next chapter is already in the works, and Lily's plan will be finally put into action, and we will discover some of Lady's other abilities. Until next time, see ya later!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Finally, another chapter. We will also be able to see Lady's abilities in action. Also, to Guest, the monthly meetings is how the diesels and their Riders are able to relax. It's kind of like a family reunion of sorts. Anyway, on with the story!**

Lily sat up out of her bed. She couldn't sleep. The fact that Tasha, her grandmother, was killed by a rival engine all due to this ridiculous feud between the steamies, and diesels, didn't sit with her well at all. She couldn't stand idle while the two different types of engines slaughter each other's Riders. She needed to take action, and finish what her grandmother started.

 _I can't do this alone._ Lily thought. Burnett was out of the question. The diesels had an absolute hatred for him, and he wouldn't want her going out to Sodor on her own in the first place. However, they didn't know Patch. If she brought Patch with her, the engines just might listen to her. Patch didn't know the engines either. She could use this to her advantage. He would be open to them, and they would open up to him in return.

Lily packed everything she would need for the trip: clothes, some food, and her bluebird to remind her of home if she ever got homesick. She silently climbed out of the window of her bedroom, and headed off for Patch's house.

Patch was sound asleep in his bed at the family ranch. He groaned, and woke up as he heard someone tapping on his window. He slowly got out of bed, and peeked through the curtains. He was surprised to see Lily standing out the window carrying a backpack. He opened the window. Why would she be all the way out here this late at night?

"What are you doing, Lily? It's the middle of the night." Patch yawned.

"I.. I want to make things right. I can't do it alone. I need your help, Patch." Lily whispered. Patch knew Burnett wouldn't be very happy with this, but Lily was right. If the feud between the steamies, and diesels is to be put to an end, action must be taken.

"Hold on, I need to pack some things." Patch quickly packed some clothes, and thought about packing his father's pistol. It might be a good idea considering the circumstances. It might not be enough to kill an engine, but it would be enough to ward it off. He silently crept through the house, and opened the gun safe. He picked up his father's revolver, and packed some ammo. It could be useful. He put it all in his duffel bag, and closed the gun vault. He silently crept back to the window.

"Are we taking Lady to Sodor?" Patch asked. Lily nodded. Patch shook his head, and sighed.

"Great, let's wake up the dragon why don't we?" Patch groaned.

"C'mon! We need to get to Sodor by dawn!" Lily hissed. Patch climbed out of the window with his duffel bag in tow. Together, they raced up Muffle Mountain, and came to a stop in front of Lady's shed.

"I'll see if Lady's in a good mood." Lily whispered to Patch, and reached out for Lady. The two heard Lady awaken, and growl. The whole mountain seemed to shake from the sheer power behind it.

 _What do you want?!_ Lady snarled.

 _We need to get to Sodor. I want to pick up where Tasha left off._ Lily swallowed nervously. Lady was a ticking time bomb.

 _Absolutely not! It's too dangerous!_ Lady snapped. Lily sighed. Lady was just like Burnett. She failed to see the truth.

 _The more and more Riders will die if we don't._ Lily knew she was pushing her luck. However, she felt Lady soften. She must have seen her point.

 _Fine, but we need to get there as soon as we can._ Lady withdrew. Lily looked back at Patch again.

"Okay, it's safe." Lily opened the shed door. Patch braced himself for Lady's unbridled fury, but he received a warm welcoming purr instead. Now that he knew it was safe, he entered the shed with little hesitation.

"Come on, hurry!" Lily was already in Lady's cab. This couldn't wait for much longer. Time was of the essence. Patch climbed aboard, and set his duffel bag on the floor of Lady's cab.

Lady din't waste any time, and rushed to the magic railroad. She would have been a purple blur to the human eye she was going so fast. Her heart was pounding, and her adrenaline levels were through the roof. It was the secret to her speed, and strength. A small amount of energy left her as she used her magic to activate the magic buffers, and screeched to a stop at the other side to catch her breath. They had arrived on Sodor. She looked around to see if any energy sources were nearby, and was a little frustrated to find nothing. There were fuse boxes along the branch lines, but it was too risky to venture out in the open. They needed to keep a low profile. However, there was a way to travel through Sodor while avoiding the diesels.

"Do you know any safe places where we can stay, Lady?" Lily stuck her head out of Lady's cab. Lady looked back at her cab. Lily wouldn't be too happy about keeping one of her abilities hidden from her for so long, but it was for her own good. She didn't want Lily to fear her.

"Yes, there are multiple places. I have a place in the Blue Mountain Quarry we can stay for a little while, but it is too dangerous to travel by rail. Climb out of my cab, and _please_ don't be scared when I do this." Lady couldn't stand the sight of her Rider being heartbroken, and to see her frightened of her would practically kill her. She didn't want Lily to see her as a monster. She felt Lily's uncertainty. Clearly, she knew something was up. Lady sighed. The two humans needed a little bit of coaxing. She couldn't blame them. This was all new to them.

"It's okay you two, trust me. I'll protect you if anything happens." Lady gently reassured them. Lily, and Patch reluctantly climbed out of her cab, with their luggage in tow. Lady quickly began to transform. Her metal hide formed steel scales that were stronger than a knight's armor as she grew in size, and changed shape. She was transforming into the most infamous beasts of legend, one that stuck fear, and awe in man-kind for centuries. Golden spikes and wings burst from her back, as the transformation quickened. By the time, the transformation was complete, Lady was no longer the magical engine Lily had grown to see as a second mother, but as a great, and powerful beast, a beautiful purple, and gold dragon. Lily was able to recognize Lady. Her name remained on her sides, and the decoration on her funnel acted as a crown, dignifying her status. Lady had purple scales, with a golden underbelly, spikes, horns, and wing membranes. Even in the moonlight, her scales sparkled like gems. Lady laid down on the ground, making the earth shake beneath her.

"Why didn't you tell me you could do this?" Lily was in awe of Lady's power. She was far more powerful than she had originally thought. It was unnerving to know Lady was capable of wiping out an entire town with little effort in this form. It made her realize Shinning Time was at Lady's mercy. She could destroy it within a second, yet she chose not to, but that could very easily change within a split second. She shuddered at the thought of what Lady would be capable of, but Lady wouldn't do such a thing. Right?

"Two reasons: one, you weren't ready, and two, somethings are better left hidden. Climb onto my back. I will fly you there." Lady offered a wing to the two humans to let them climb aboard. She watched the two humans carefully climb up onto her back. She would have to be able to catch them if they slipped. Once they were on her back, and situated, she stood up. Her scales sounded like chain mail with every move she made. She looked back at the two humans with her piercing golden eyes.

"Hold on tight, you two. I'll fly just above the tree line in case either of you have a fear of heights." Lady felt the two humans wrap their arms around her powerful neck. Now that they were secure, she bunched her muscles, and took to the air with a mighty leap, and a quick beat of her wings. Using this ability required energy, and all the energy she spent decades building up would certainly come in handy for this. She scanned the ground during the flight to their destination. Her sharp eyes spotted several fuse boxes along the rails. She remembered where they were. They would come in handy if she were in a pinch and needed more energy.

She actually liked to shape shift. It was something only magical engines were capable of, and provided an extra layer of protection. She could hide in plain sight, but her coloration was a dead give away. She just had to keep her distance and not let anyone get a close look at her. She felt Patch tighten his grip, and hold onto her for dear life. She chuckled softly. He must have a fear of heights. Lily seemed unphased by it. Good. She needed to get used to this if they are to put an end to this fued once and for all.

Lily was in awe of Lady's brute strength. She could feel Lady's powerful muscles flex with every thud of Lady's wings and every breath she took. She could feel Lady's heartbeat, and felt a special link between her and the engine. It wasn't like the bond with an engine and Rider. There was something more to it, admiration. Lady was by far the most powerful engine on Sodor, and quite possible, the whole world. The thunderous thuds of Lady's wings created a torrent of wind like a wind storm, and the fire in Lady's belly glowed softly in the darkness of night. It was fitting for Lady to be in this form. A dragon was a creature of awesome power and majesty, a creature that fit Lady perfectly.

Eventually, Lady carefully landed on a cliff side overlooking the Blue Mountain Quarry in front of a vast cave. Patch dared to open his eyes, and sighed in relief to find ad had finally landed, but Lady didn't let them off just yet. Lady slithered into the cave. The fire in her belly glowed softly, providing the humans with a little bit of warm light. Lady let the fire in her belly rise, as she inhaled, and opened her jaws. She unleashed a blast of flame onto the floor of the cavern, using her tongue to control the direction of the flame. A ring that ran around the cavern ignited, lighting up the whole cavern, revealing a vast treasure hoard before them.

Lily gasped. She had never seen anything like it. It seemed she didn't know anything about Lady at all. She knew her grandfather would go into the tunnel that led to the magic railroad, and walk out with some jewelry or gold, but she never thought Lady was letting him take from one of her hoards. She held on as Lady laid down on the pile of treasure. She, and Patch slid off one of Lady's wings, and landed onto the enormous pile of gold and gems. Lily looked around. The whole cavern floor was covered in all kinds of shiny baubles.

"How did you get all of this?" Lily looked up at Lady. Lady smiled, baring her fangs, an unnerving sight for the two humans.

"I gathered it over the course of several years. I didn't know if you brought any money with you, so I took you here. You may take what you want from it, and use it to buy any essentials." Lady wouldn't normally allow anyone to take from her hoards whenever they wished, but she needed to make sure her Rider had plenty of money to afford for whatever she and her friend needed to get by. Burnett was the only one who could take from her hoard in Muffle Mountain, and she would have to Lily where it was, so she may take from it if needed as well. Lady re-situated herself in a more comfortable position, and the gold around her shifted like how water ripples when a pebble is tossed into it.

"Why did you collect all this stuff anyway?" Patch looked around. He seemed a little taken aback by this. No surprise there.

"It is merely my instincts to hoard valuables like gemstones, and gold. When I lay on it, some of the gold, and gems stick to my belly, providing me with an extra layer of protection in one of my few vulnerable areas." Lady explained. It was in her blood to do this. Lily would have to wait to find out about it. That is if Lily doesn't stick her nose where it didn't belong, or press her for questions. She would rather wait for the right time to tell her rather than letting Lily find out about it herself.

"That makes sense. I mean, why would a dragon collect treasure of they can't spend it?" Patch shrugged. Lady snorted. Black smoke billowed from her nostrils. It was late, and the two children needed to sleep if they are to be able to travel again tomorrow.

"You two need to sleep. The fire inside me will keep you warm." Lady lifted her large wing, exposing her warm belly that was encrusted with precious gems, and gold. The two humans were hesitant. Lady rolled her eyes. They should know she wouldn't hurt them by now, even in the form of such a powerful beast.

"Come on now, it's safe." Lady gently reassured them. Lily, and Patch reluctantly approached her. They had to wade through the gold and gems to get to her. They laid back against her warm belly, and she draped her wing over them like a mother hawk protecting her brood from the elements.

The chilly air of the cave vanished the moment Lady draped her wing over them. Lily snuggled into Lady's immense warmth as Lady's belly steadily rose and fell with a steady and soothing cadence. Lily ever so slowly fell asleep.

 **A/N: So there we have it! All magical engines can shape shift into any creature they want. This just shows how powerful Lady is, and how dangerous she can be if she's angered. She could easily destroy a whole kingdom within the blink of an eye if she chose to. The next chapter is already in the works. Until next time, see ya later!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: We will explore Lady's abilities a little further in this chapter. A little bit of gore in this chapter, just a fair warning. Anyway, on with the story!**

The next morning, Lily woke up, and noticed she could no longer feel Lady's soothing warmth. She sat up, and looked around. Lady was nowhere to be seen. Where could she had possibly gone? She reached out to Lady.

 _Where are you?_ Lily yawned. The sun was shinning in the mouth of the cavern, but the treasure was too far back to reflect the light. It would help keep Lady's hoard hidden.

 _I'm not very far away, little one. I'm catching you breakfast for you two._ Lady replied, and quickly withdrew. Lily, and Patch brought snacks for the trip, but this was fine. It might be best to save them for emergencies anyway. Almost half an hour later, Lady returned with a buck dangling from her powerful fang-lined jaws. She dropped the deer onto the cold stone floor, and inhaled deeply. Her underbelly started to glow brighter from the fire rising within her, and Lady unleashed a blast of flame onto the lifeless body of the deer. She was cooking it for the two humans to eat. She had already eaten two deer before she caught this one. She needed to feed in order to have energy to hunt, or use her magic. She cut off the stream of fire by snapping her jaws shut, and she immediately started to tear the buck into smaller pieces for the humans to eat with her claws, much to Lily's dismay. Patch was relatively fine with it. His father must hunt if he is used to seeing something like this. She offered them each a piece, so they could eat. Lily seemed to have lost her appetite, but she ate a little bit. It was better than eating nothing. Once the humans had their fill, Lady snatched up the deer carcass in her jaws, and swallowed it whole in a single gulp. No point in letting it go to waste.

This was difficult for Patch to comprehend. There was so much he, and Lily didn't know about Lady. He doubted even Burnett knew she could shape shift, but he took care of her since she was a kit, and he was the most knowledgeable about her. However, even he seemed to know about Lady's true power. Lady seemed to notice him trying to put the pieces together, and laid her large head before him on the ground, and looked at him with a beautiful golden eye.

"Something is eating you, Patch. What is it?" Lady asked him. Lady was very in-tune with both humans, and engines alike. It was like she could sense something was amidst. She had a deep connection with the island itself. She was Sodor's guardian.

"Does Burnett know about your powers?" Patch raised an eyebrow at her. Lady smiled, baring her fangs. He took that as a yes.

"He is aware of this ability, but he is unaware to my true power. The other steamies know as well. Restoring the Magic Railroad, and shape shifting is only part of my power. You are not ready to see me at full power, child, neither is Lily. You will need to be able to understand how powerful truly am before I show you just what I am capable of." Lady blinked.

"Why do you think we're not ready?" Lily asked. Lady looked at her. Typical Lily. She was wanting to push for answers, rather than wait. It would be better off if they never see her at full power at all. Her blood lust would spiral out of control, and not even Burnett would be able to control her. Her true self would be unleashed.

"I feel you are not ready to see me like that. You need to understand how powerful I can be, then I may show you, Lily." Lady replied. She laid down on the cold stone floor. The fire inside her quickly warmed up the cool floor.

"Come on, you two need your exercise, and there is a place you two may find to be more comfortable that I know." Lady gently beckoned them to climb onto her back. The two children grabbed their bags, and climbed onto her back. She noticed Lily had picked up some gold while she was on her way up. As much as she wanted to snarl at her for it, Lily, and Patch needed money for supplies if needed. She stood up, and slithered out of the cave. The sun was warm against her metal scales like hot coals. It was an excellent day for flying, but she couldn't be in this form in broad daylight outside the quarry. It would raise the alarm for the diesels. Lady pushed off the cliff side. The narrow gauge engines grew excited at the sight of her, and greeted her. Lady would have returned the greeting with a roar, but it would most likely deafen the two humans that were on board. She glided down to land, and landed on the tracks. Her thick muscles absorbed the impact. The ground cracked under the force of the impact. It could easily be fixed.

Lady laid down to let the humans climb off her back, before she transformed into her true self. She noticed a fuse box siting next to the foreman's office, and she couldn't resist. Lady approached it, and looked it over to find the best angle to reach it. Lady opened her powerful jaws, and sank her canines into the thin steel shell that protected the fuses.

"Lady!" Lily was alarmed when Lady sank her teeth into the fuse box, but to her surprise, Lady was unharmed. Instead, Lady started to absorb the electricity. The lights in the office flickered, and nearly went out, but Lady was careful not to cause a blackout for the whole quarry. After what seemed minutes, Lady released the fuse box. The shell was destroyed, but the fuses were still in tact. She was able to put enough pressure on the fuse box to get past the thin sheet of metal surrounding it without damaging the fuses. That would have taken a great deal of self control.

"Why did you do that, Lady?" Lily had never seen Lady do this before. Burnett had placed the fuse box from Lady's shed out of Lady's reach, and now she knew why. Lady would absorb the electricity, and cause a blackout for the whole town.

"I need energy to fuel my magic. Electricity is just raw energy, and a fuse box is like an all-one-can-eat buffet. I can absorb as much energy as I want. I just have to be careful not to cause a blackout." Lady chuckled. She must have been the cause of several blackouts before. That explained quite a bit. Especially the one when the power was out for almost a week. That was miserable, but Burnett spent quite a bit of time at Lady's shed. She thought there was a generator there, but he came back empty handed. He must have been scolding her for causing the blackout.

"So, are you good now?" Patch asked.

"Yes, for now, I'll have to absorb more energy later on. Come on, we need to hurry before the diesels start moving around." Lady gently urged them to climb into her cab. The diesels needed to warm up in the sun before they could be able to move quickly. They still had time to reach their destination without being spotted.

Back in Shining Time, Burnett desperately called the police. Lily had gone missing. She wouldn't leave out of the blue like this. There was one place he didn't look: Lady's shed. Hopefully, Lady just called for her, or Lily was just visiting Lady. When he looked inside the shed, he was shocked to see Lady was gone. That meant only one thing. Lily took Lady to Sodor. Lily was in grave danger. If a diesel found out she was Lady's Rider... he shuddered at the thought. He ran though the tunnel that led to the magic railroad, praying Lily, and Lady were somewhere safe.

 _Please be safe... Please be safe.._ Burnett prayed.

 **A/N: So there you have it, magical engines can absorb electricity if no other energy source is available, and Lady has caused multiple blackouts in Shinning Time, which led to an earful from Burnett. The next chapter is already in the works, but until then, see ya later!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Woo-hoo! Another chapter! Elizabeth Jones, and Draco Kirkland belong to Mywinx14. Anyway, on with the story!**

Lady sniffed the air to see if it was safe to leave the quarry. Much to her relief, she only smelt the familiar scent of fellow steamies. She stuck to the shadows, using the darkness as protection. She was careful to avoid the places where the diesels liked to congregate, and was on high alert. She couldn't loose Lily like how she lost Tasha. Lady felt a wave of relief when she finally arrived at her destination: Tidmouth Sheds. It was exposed, but there was safety in numbers. Diesel 10 would be smart enough to not take on the whole steam team at once... maybe. If he was foolish enough to do so, he was good as dead. The Steam Team would fight him off, and let her, and the two children escape, but they wouldn't let Diesel 10 go without a few scars, if he was lucky to survive the onslaught that is.

She let out a fox-like bark to announce her arrival, and Henry emerged from the shadows of his shed. He was taken by surprise when he saw her, but his surprise quickly turned into anger.

"What are you doing here? It's not safe!" Henry hissed softly. He must have thought she would have hidden in a more secluded area that was out of Diesel 10's reach.

"I have to protect my... special human, and this is probably the only place where I can count on someone else to help me keep an eye out for danger, and protect my... you know... special human." Lady whispered. Henry's eyes grew wide when she said this. He must not have expected her to choose a Rider after all these years.

"You mean you have a-" Henry was abruptly cut off before he could say it. Lady couldn't risk him letting word spread.

"Yes, just don't say it aloud in public." Lady hissed softly, and settled into one of the sheds.

"Who's your new Rider?" Henry asked softly.

"Lily is, you've met her before." Lady replied. Henry smiled. He had hoped Lady would choose her. The child had great potential, and was worthy of the title of Rider.

"You made a good choice, Lady. She'll be a fine Rider when she grows up. You're right, there's safety in numbers. Make yourselves at home." Henry purred.

"I already have." Lady chuckled softly, and let the two humans out of her cab. Lily looked around. It was a pretty sparse building, nothing too special about it, that is until she noticed small tunnels built behind each berth. Patch was the first to spot them, and pointed them out to her. They were big enough for only a human to crawl through. It must be a special route the Riders can take if the doors are locked.

"What are those for?" Patch pointed at the tunnels. They reminded him of little burrows, networks of winding tunnels that some animals called home.

"Those are our Riders's emergency exits. Sir Topham Hatt had those placed in case Tidmouth was attacked, or our Riders needed to get out in a hurry. They haven't been used in years, but they are still maintained just in case if the situation arises." Henry replied.

"Where do they lead? Do they just lead outside the shed, or do they actually lead to somewhere?" Lily raised an eyebrow at Henry. Henry thought for a moment. The tunnels did in fact lead to several places. He just needed to remember where they led.

"They all lead to four different locations: the Search and Rescue Center, Misty Island, the Blue Mountain Quarry, and the Anopha Quarry. Those are the places we fell our Riders would be safest." Henry replied. He wanted Lily to know this. Those tunnels could very well mean the difference between life, and death for her. That is, if a diesel was foolish enough to attack Tidmouth Sheds to begin with. The four of them continued to talk, and the other engines gradually returned to Tidmouth Sheds. Edward, and James both backed into their respective sheds, and two humans, one boy, and one girl, climbed out of the tender engines' cabs. Lily knew right away they were Riders. She could tell just by watching Edward, and James's body language around them. The girl sat on Edward's footplate, and leaned back against his smoke box to relax, while the boy started to polish James. No surprise there she supposed. The girl was the first to notice Lily, and Patch. She smiled, jumped off Edward's buffer plate, and approached them.

"You're a Rider too, eh?" the girl stuck out her hand. She was wearing a purple t-shirt, a purple skirt, pink glasses, and pink heeled boots. She had blueish green eyes, long blonde hair, and bared the mark of a Rider on her palm. Lily was right after all. Lily shook the girl's hand.

"Yep. I'm Lily, Lady's Rider." Lily smiled. The girl looked at her in surprise for a moment. She must not have expected such a powerful engine choose a child as a Rider.

"I'm Elizabeth Jones, but the others call me Liz, or Eliza for short to prevent being confused with Thomas's Rider, and the guy polishing James is Draco Kirkland. He's quite the man." Elizabeth winked. It was obvious the two Riders were in love. At least they knew the hardships of being a Rider, so they would be able to understand each other's problems a bit better. They knew the dangers, and responsibilities of a Rider, something Lily had yet to learn. Draco turned to look back at Lily, and smiled. He was wearing an orange, and blue t-shirt, jeans, and boots. He too had blonde hair, but had green eyes rather than Elizabeth's greenish blue eyes.

"It's nice to finally have a new Rider in the ranks. We hardly ever get any new ones with the feud between the steamies, and diesels. It's nice to see you too, Lady." Draco jumped down from James' buffer plate, and stuffed his polish rag in his pants pocket.

"It is always a pleasure to see you as well, Draco." Lady smiled.

"How did you meet your engines? Did they find you, or have you known them for a while?" Patch asked. He knew Lady had had a bond with Lily from the very beginning for quite some time. Perhaps this was the same for all engines. Elizabeth smiled.

"Draco, and I used to live in Bigg City Port actually. We were there when the curse was cast. Thankfully, Captain Star, and Captain Zero took care of it before it could get too bad. We were friends with some of the Riders there, and they told us about the adventures, and battles they participated in. We decided to move to Knapford on Sodor after we heard the curse had spread to here to see if it was any different. It is a bit different here, but not by much. One day, we were roller blading, and stumbled across James, and Edward. We stopped, talked to them, and the rest is history." Elizabeth replied.

"Huh, Lady, and Lily knew each other for a couple years. They were pretty close, and even closer now that she's Lady's Rider." Patch's theory was correct after all. The engines, and the three Riders continued to have a conversation with each other. The other engines were excited by the news of Lady choosing a Rider after lacking one for years.

"I'm glad you finally chose another Rider, Lady. I was starting to think you wouldn't accept another Rider after... you know.." Edward knew about Lady loosing Tasha. All the steamies did, and were loosing hope that Lady would choose another Rider as the years passed. Turns out, she was only waiting for the right person to come along.

"I thought about not choosing a Rider, but Lily, and took each other the moment we saw one another. I felt that she was the one to choose as my Rider." Lady smiled warmly.

"What about you, Percy? Do you have a Rider?" Lily asked the green saddle tank. He was still awfully young to have a Rider, but some engines were bonded with their Rider when they were still kits.

"No, at least not yet. I just let the people come to me rather than looking around for someone I think will be a good Rider. Someone that wants to talk, or be friends with me is bound to be my Rider rather than someone just sitting on the sidelines." Percy really didn't seem to mind not having a Rider. He was young, and taking care of, and protecting his Rider was a _huge_ responsibility. Maybe it was better for him to have him grow a little bit, and have him learn the responsibility of watching over his Rider.

They were all taken by surprise when Mr. Conductor dropped by. Normally, he would visit to watch over the railway when Sir Topham Hatt was away. However, Sir Topham Hatt was still here. That meant one thing: something was up. Mr. Conductor froze, and his jaw dropped in shock when he saw Lady with the two children in her company. He must not have expected Lady to leave the safety of Muffle Mountain, let alone with two human children.

"Lady, what are you doing here?! It's too dangerous for Lily, and Patch to be out here! Does Burnett know about this?" Mr. Conductor seemed more afraid than angry. Lady looked at Lily for an answer. Lily grimaced. That told him all he needed to know. Lady had taken them here _without_ Burnett knowing. Burnett was probably worried sick about them right now.

"But _please_ don't tell him! I want to end this fight between the steamies, and diesels once, and for all, just as how Tasha wanted it!" Lily begged him to not tell her grandfather. Burnett would be fuming if he found out. Mr. Conductor's shoulders slumped. She knew about Tasha, and the diesel that killed her out of cold blood.

"You.. found out?" Mr. Conductor wanted to keep the truth about Tasha's death a secret, but apparently Burnett told her the heartbreaking truth about Tasha's demise. Tears started to well up in Lily's eyes. The old wound started to bleed again. Tasha was rolling in her grave, unable to rest until the island was united once more.

"Grandpa told me." Lily sniffled, and wiped the tears from her eyes with her shirt sleeve. Lady gently nuzzled her with her nose, and purred softly to provide Lily with much needed comfort.

 _It's okay little one. You're doing the right thing. Tasha needs to finally be put to rest._ Lady tone of voice was so gentle, and loving, just like a mother speaking to her child. Lady shot Mr. Conductor a dirty look, and growled softly.

 _Look at what you've done._ Lady held back a snarl as Mr. Conductor took the hint, and ran to the other side of the sheds. Lady returned her attention to her Rider. Lily wasn't crying as much as before, but she was still sniffling a little. Lily looked up at her, and Lady gently kissed her on the forehead.

 _It's okay, little one. I'm here._ Lady gently reassured her.

Meanwhile, in Vicarstown, Diesel 10 kept a watchful eye on his Rider as Everett climbed up a tree. The boy needed his exercise, but he was an easy target once he leaves the safety of Diesel 10's claw. The warship needed to be on high alert. A steamie could be hiding around the corner, waiting to strike.

"Hey, D10!" Everett stuck his head out from the leaves of the tree he had been climbing on, and smiled.

"What?" Diesel 10 looked up at Everett as the boy hung upside down from a branch. Diesel 10 held his claw out, and had it open just in case if Everett should fall, he would be able to catch him.

"Why do steamies kill diesels' Riders?" Everett raised an eyebrow at him. Diesel 10 sighed. It was only a matter of time he would have asked him that, especially after he saw Laura get attacked by Victor.

"In order to get to us, they have to hit where it hurts. They know we are close to our Riders, are more than happy to kill our Riders for that reason." Diesel 10 didn't sugar coat. There was no way to make it sound better than it was. It was the cold hard truth. Everett was silent for a few moments before letting himself drop into Diesel 10's claw. Diesel 10 held his claw up to his face to see Everett looking up at him like a baby bird.

"If it's just to hurt you, why bother to kill a Rider just for that? You said it was about as bad killing each other's children." Everett asked him.

"I don't know kid. I just don't know." Diesel 10 gently placed the boy on his roof, so he could be out of harm's reach. He knew he couldn't answer _all_ of Everett's questions, but he could at least try to answer them to the best of his abilities. Everett sat down on Diesel 10's roof, and let his legs dangle off of Diesel 10's side.

"Do you think we will ever make peace, D10?" Everett watched his feet dangle from the warship's side. Diesel 10 sighed.

"I don't know if we can, kid. This fight between us diesels, and steamies is getting worse by the minute." Diesel 10 replied.

 **A/N: Yes! Another chapter done, and out of the way! In case you can't tell, I don't antagonize either side. I'm leaving it up to** _ **you**_ **to decide which side you support. Once again, Elizabeth Jones, and Draco Kirkland belong to Mywinx14. The next chapter is already in the works, but until then, see ya later!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Woo-hoo! Another chapter! To EllaBella (Guest), yes some diesel Riders, and steamie Riders are friends. It will play a bigger role in the story as it progresses. A quick warning of some violence, and little bit of gore in this chapter. Anyway, on with the story!**

"So, Lady isn't the only engine who lost a Rider to a diesel?" Lily felt sick to her stomach. It was sickening to know that the diesels were killing the steamies' Riders. No one was safe, not even her.

"I'm afraid so, Lily." Toby replied sadly. He had had many Riders in his lifetime, and was all too familiar with the silence, and solitude that came with loosing a Rider. Even now it was a sensitive subject for him. It was a sensitive subject for all of them.

"That reminds me, Victor almost killed Diesel's Rider. I say he deserved it for causing so much trouble for us for so long. She escaped, but it shook Diesel up. He won't be bothering us anytime soon." Gordon decided it was best to change the topic just a little bit. Lily really shouldn't have to be afraid at this young age, but it was good that she was aware of the danger. However, all the steamies shared the duty of protecting each other's Riders. If Lily was in a pinch, he would rush to her aid in a heartbeat. Besides, steamies were nearly twice as strong as a diesel engine anyway. Diesel 10 was the only diesel that could match Gordon's strength, but that wouldn't stop him coming to the aid of a fellow steamie's Rider when they needed it most.

"Now they're on high alert. That means I'll have to wait until I can set up another ambush." Emily growled. She needed to wait for the diesels to relax before she could strike again. It would be too risky to strike when they are on their guard.

"Doesn't surprise me at all, but I must say, you're technique is quite impressive Emily." Edward smiled. He was one of the best hunters of the steam team, so to receive a compliment from him was an accomplishment. Emily's skills rivaled one of the two eldest members of the steam team. _That_ was something to be proud of.

"What's your technique?" Patch asked Emily. He had never seen a steamie on the hunt, but perhaps Emily could demonstrate, if she was willing to share the secret to her success as a huntress. Emily smiled, revealing her huge canines. Patch shuddered at the sight. She could easily bite a grown man in half if she wanted to.

"I'll show you, just open your mind, and I will show you how I do it through my memories." Emily replied. Patch lowered his mental barriers, and felt something brush up against his very spiritual being. He shuddered. It wasn't natural, but it gave him just a peek as to what Lily felt whenever Lady contacted her. Emily entered his mind, and he was able to see one of her memories.

 _It was the middle of summer, and today was exceptionally hot, but it was bearable for a steamie. The sun's rays felt like hot coals against her metal hide, and was definitely far more pleasant than the cold snow of winter. Emily silently switched onto another set of rails that was hidden by the dense undergrowth, like a giant emerald, and golden striped tiger stalking though the jungles it ruled over. The dark green foliage provided her with almost perfect camouflage. She moved into position, and lied in wait. She heard a diesel approaching, and smiled when she picked up the scent of human. The diesel had their Rider with them. She prepared to strike, and waited for the diesel to roll just a little closer with it's Rider exposed. She waited for the right moment, then lunged out of her hiding place, and snatched the diesel's Rider in her jaws before the diesel, and human could even react._

 _She raced off as the diesel screamed in horror. The diesel had witnessed their Rider getting killed right in front of them, and now Emily was eager to feed on the diesel's beloved Rider. She came to a stop once she had reached a more secluded area, and enjoyed her meal in peace._

Emily withdrew, and the memory faded. Patch was taken aback by the brutality of the, normally sweet, and kind, Stirling. He simply stared at her in shock.

"Holy... Now that was just cruel, killing a diesel's Rider right in front of them..." Patch was lost for words. Turns out Emily wasn't the kind and caring engine he thought she was after all. She was calculating, and deadly. She was a whirlwind of danger.

"Well... to be honest with you, Patch, I think Lady's worse than Emily." Thomas chuckled nervously. He had heard about Lady's revenge against the strongest diesel on the island. Lady's hunting abilities surpassed all the other steamies on the island. She had fought tooth, and claw for decades, and it certainly showed in her hunting skills. Lily whipped around, and looked at Lady in shock. She couldn't believe Lady would even think about killing anyone. Lady had been so gentle with her. She found it hard to believe Lady would do such a thing.

"You killed a diesel's Rider?! Why?! Why would you do that, Lady?!" Lily now knew the truth. Lady was not the motherly, and gentle engine she seemed. She was a bloodthirsty monster, just like the other steamies. However, Lady remained calm, and showed no remorse for her actions.

"I was grief stricken by Tasha's death, and I believed that the diesel who killed her should have shared my pain." Lady growled. Her anger, and appetite got the best of her that day, and she didn't care if the diesel hated her for it. The diesel deserved to suffer with her.

"What did you do?" Lily asked her. Lady reached out to the two children, and showed them the memory.

 _Anger, and sorrow, a combination of emotions that Lady never thought she would be able to feel for years. Tasha was gone, and now Lady was acting on sheer rage, and sadness. She sniffed the air, and caught the scent of the Rider of the diesel that took Tasha's life. The diesel's Rider was hiding in the undergrowth behind a siding. The diesel was clever to hide their Rider in plain sight. It was the last place a steamie would look. Too bad the diesel was unaware of her ability to shapeshift. She followed the scent, and came to a stop just before she would have pulled into the siding. Hunger was gnawing at her belly like fangs. She hadn't eaten since Tasha had passed, and this was the perfect opportunity to take revenge for the diesel's wrongdoing._

 _She could hear the human's heartbeat quicken, and his breathing become heavier the moment he saw her. The human knew he was in danger, but all he could do is sit still, or run, and give away his hiding spot. Her sharp eyesight allowed her to spot him, and slowly inched closer. She wasn't about to strike just yet. She wanted the human's nerves do the work for her. Sure enough, the human bolted, and Lady gave chase. She transformed into a great lioness just before she would have crashed through the buffers, and leapt over them with a single bound. The human didn't dare to look back to see if she crashed through the buffers, nor to see if she had transformed, out of fear of becoming Lady's next victim. She pounced on him with a great roar. The human cried out, and fell to the ground._

 _Lady didn't want to give him a quick, and honorable death. She wanted the human to suffer. She wanted to play with her food for a bit. She let him get up, and run, only to pounce on him again, and inflict small, but nasty wounds with her claws, and teeth. This torturous cycle continued until she sank her teeth into the human's ankles, disabling him from being able to stand up. The human screamed his diesel's name, and yelled for help, and sure enough, Lady heard a diesel's horn. The diesel was going to try to save it's pathetic excuse of a Rider. How sweet. Lady wanted to the diesel to see her kill it's Rider before the diesel's very eyes. She grabbed the human by the back of his shirt, and dragged him back close to the rails, but far enough, so that the diesel could only watch as she would slaughter their precious Rider. The diesel let out a horrified scream as they watched their Rider weakly try to wriggle free of Lady's crushing jaws._

 _The human was loosing a lot of blood, and the sweet scent of blood filled the air, and covered her snout, and paws, covering her with the nectar's sweet pheromones, nature's perfume. She pinned the human down with her paws, and sank her teeth into the human's skull, and he suddenly went limp._

 _'Now you know my pain.' Lady thought as she dragged the Rider's lifeless body away, so she could finally feast after days of refusing to eat anything._

The memory ended, and Lady withdrew. Lily simply stood before her in complete shock, and horror. Lady was by far the most dangerous engine on Sodor, if not the most bloodthirsty. All Lily had ever known about Lady was shattered by the fact Lady would torture her prey before killing it, let alone kill another engine's Rider out of sheer hatred. However, Patch seemed to understand. He knew she was heartbroken, and to kill the Rider of the diesel that killed Tasha was the best way to show the diesel just how painful it was to loose a Rider.

"Now that was sort of justified." Patch knew Lady had probably killed several humans before. She was a carnivore by nature, but he never expected her to be so violent. However, he could see why Lady killed the diesel's Rider. She wanted the diesel to share her pain.

"But you didn't have to torture him! You could have just made it quick, and got it over with, not slowly butcher him!" Lily was on the brink of tears. This was too much. It was too brutal.

"I was driven by grief, Lily. Tasha's death could not go unanswered. The diesel needed to be punished for their wrongdoing." Lady frowned. Lily failed to understand that her kind was bloodthirsty to being with. The scent of blood alone would have the potential to drive Lady to kill, but she kept her instincts under control... usually.

"I really need to get outside, and clear my head." Lily sighed, and rubbed her temples. She needed a few minutes to accept the fact Lady had killed a diesel's Rider out spite. Lady opened her mouth to protest, but Henry cut her off.

"We'll protect them, Lady. It's too dangerous for you to be out, and about." Henry was right. It was too risky to accompany them, but there were plenty of other steamies on the island. There was bound to be several steamies where Lily, and Patch would be. If a diesel found them, the other steamies would come to their rescue. She could trust them.

"Alright, but stay away from the tracks. If you see a diesel, or even hear a diesel's horn, run into the nearest building, or to the nearest station. They won't hurt you if other people are around. Lily, you are to stay connected with me at all times, got it?" Lady couldn't help, but worry about the two children. However, she was unaware that Patch was armed with his father's revolver. Still, a revolver would barely affect an engine anyway. At least it provided the two of them at least some protection.

"Got it." Lily nodded. The engines set out to return to work, and watch over the two children as Lily and Patch set out to explore the island a bit.

 **A/N: So there you have it, now we know just how bad Lady can get. I'm leaving the identity of the diesels up to you. YOU decide which diesels lost their Riders to Emily, and Lady. The next chapter is already in the works, but until next time, see ya later!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Whoa, over two thousand views already? You guys are awesome! To Guest, I am planning on something like that, but the curse cannot be reversed. The Riders cannot exist without the curse, and I update the story at least once every couple days, so please be patient. A quick warning of some coarse language in this chapter. Anyway, on with the show!**

Everett aimlessly wandered the island, searching for answers. He couldn't help but wonder if there were any Riders his age. Sure, Laura was nice, but he wanted to meet someone his age, someone he could relate to, so he set out to see if he could find one, much to Diesel 10's disapproval, but the warship allowed him to roam the island despite the risks. The townsfolk recognized him, and muttered amongst each other as he passed them. They knew he was bonded to the most powerful diesel on the island.

 _If you have something to say to me, say it my damn face._ Everett thought as he scowled. He _hated_ it when people talked about him behind his back. He never trusted others, except for Diesel 10, and Laura of course. Diesel 10 was the only one who understood him. It was just them against the world. They were outcasts, abandoned, and unwanted, but misery loves company. He sighed. Maybe, just maybe the steamies, and diesels will learn to get along eventually.

Back in Knapford, Lily, and Patch stopped by the pet store. Lily wanted to cheer Lady up a bit, and a couple of mice seemed to be a suitable treat for the engine.

"We need that gold for emergencies, Lily. Don't spend it all ." Patch whispered to her. He understood why she wanted to give Lady a couple of mice as treats, but they needed to save the gold Lily had picked up from Lady's hoard in case they absolutely had to buy a necessity.

"I know. That's why I'm only buying two mice." Lily whispered back. They picked out the plumpest mice of the bunch, and paid for them. The mice were placed into a cardboard carrying box, and they left the store to return to Tidmouth Sheds.

Everett's curiosity changed to another subject: the magic buffers. He had heard rumors about it's location, but he never really looked into it. Perhaps he could find it, and see if the legends were true, but he had to be wary of the lost engine that Diesel 10 failed to destroy.

He ran for cover when he heard a steamie's whistle, which was a frequent occurrence, but he couldn't take any chances being spotted by a steamie. It would be a death sentence. Once he was sure it was safe to leave, he cautiously emerged from his hiding spot, and continued to explore the island, but stayed on high alert. He followed the tracks over the viaduct. He was understandably on edge. There was nowhere to run, or hide on the viaduct. A steamie could see him as an easy meal if he wasn't careful.

His heart skipped a beat when he heard a steamie chuffing up to the viaduct behind him. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, and jumped into the underbrush just as the steamie passed by. The steamie must not have seen him because it didn't stop. Once the steamie was gone, he sighed in relief, and laid flat on the ground.

 _Oh thank goodness._ Everett thought as he took a few minutes to catch his breath. He was lucky the steamie didn't see him. Otherwise, he would have been turned into a salty snack. He sat up, and peeked from his hiding place to see if it was safe. To his relief, no steamies were in the area. He cautiously crept out of his hiding spot, and quickly left the area.

Burnett desperately searched the area around the magic buffers, calling out Lily's name. Lily, and Lady were nowhere to be seen, telling him they had been on Sodor longer than he thought. He followed the tracks, and nearly bumped into a teenager wearing a black hoodie, and worn black jeans.

"Hey have you seen a girl with long black hair, and a small purple steam engine?" Burnett stopped him. There was a chance somebody had seen them, but he knew Lady all too well. Lady was able to hide right under someone's nose. He knew that all too well.

"You mean, Ryan?" the boy raised an eyebrow. Burnett shook his head. He couldn't give the boy too much detail. He didn't want him to know about Lady's existence.

"No, the engine she's with isn't like him. It's smaller than him. My granddaughter is with that steamie." Burnett replied. It didn't surprise him that the boy hadn't seen them. Lady knew this island better than anyone.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't seen them sir." the boy shrugged. Burnett sighed. He knew Lady would keep Lily safe, but he couldn't risk having Diesel 10 finding them.

"Okay, thanks." Burnett continued his search, hoping he would be able to find them before any harm could come to them.

 _Who's he looking for?_ Everett wondered as he watched the old man run past him. Perhaps he should keep an eye out for them. It was his duty of a Rider to serve the community after all.

Everett continued to follow the tracks until he came across a set of three buffers. He picked up three small rocks, and threw one at each buffer. Two of the stones bounced off the two buffers on the left and the right, but the third stone caused a colorful portal to open in front of the middle one, and the stone disappeared. The portal closed just as quick as it opened, leaving Everett in complete shock. He quickly turned tail, and ran away from it as fast he could. This was something he needed to keep to himself.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: This chapter will introduce the Logging Locos, but I changed them quite a bit, so that they may appeal to a bigger audience. There is a little bit of gore, and violence in this chapter, just a quick warning. Anyway, on with the story!**

Ferdinand looked back at the boy that ran, and jumped for cover. He knew the boy was a diesel's Rider, but he let the boy go. He wouldn't even think of doing such a thing as killing another engine's Rider, regardless of type of engine they were bonded to. He, and his brothers were among the very few steamies that wouldn't harm a rival engine's Rider.

They were raised by a tough, and stubborn, but kind woman named Brenda. They still lived with her, and saw her as their mother, which in a way, was correct. Ferdinand was never too far from his younger brothers. Bash, and Dash were rowdy teenagers, while Ferdinand was the eldest of the trio, and was much more calm than his younger brothers.

Of course, as things would have it, he, and his brothers weren't as innocent as they looked. They were by far three of the most skilled hunters on Sodor, and were the only predators that posed a threat to virtually anything that laid in their path on Misty Island. They have taken down were-wolves, and even were-cats that were in their battle form. Years of isolation from society allowed them to become the feared predators they are known as today.

That evening, Bash, Dash, and Ferdinand returned to Misty Island. All three of them were famished, but they didn't want to have a big meal just before returning home, where Brenda would feed them. Hopefully, they could find a quick snack that would hold them off until they get home. They sniffed the air, and picked up the scent of one of their favorite prey items: were-wolf. They followed their noses to the source, careful to stick to the shadows. They no longer communicated with verbally. This was where their ability to tweet came into play. The three engines split up, and moved into positions, tweeting signals to each other.

Bear, a were-wolf, was in his beast form. This was the first time he had ventured from the safety of the camp. He was young, and inexperienced, an easy target for a wily predator. Despite the calm, and quiet environment, he remained on high alert. The Logging Locos had been picking off some of the members of his pack for years, and clearly weren't planning to stopping anytime soon. All Bear could hear was the birds chirping. That wasn't necessarily unusual, but he couldn't help, but feel as if he was being watched. He looked back over his shoulder to see if anything was lurking in the shadows, and saw nothing.

 _Must be my imagination._ Bear thought, as he crossed the rails. Something rushed past him in the dense foliage, and he quickly spun around to see nothing. He stopped, and listened. The birds were still chirping, and nothing seemed out of the norm. Perhaps it was his imagination getting the best of him. Suddenly, Dash lunged from his hiding spot with his jaws wide open, and unleashing a ground-shaking roar, reveling his massive canines that were specifically designed to rip flesh from bone. Bear yelped, and raced out of the way. The chase was on.

Bash was second to attack, followed by Ferdinand. Their prey suddenly turned, and they turned with it. They knew this island better than anyone, and they used this to their advantage. The were-wolf quickly scaled a tree, and they screeched to a stop before the tree. This was exactly what they wanted. Now their prey had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. All they had to do was wait.

Bear struggled to catch his breath. He looked down, and saw the Logging Locos looking up at him, their eyes glowed with ravenous hunger. He clung to the tree's trunk. Were-wolves weren't built for climbing trees, and holding onto it for long periods of time, which made him realize his fatal mistake. His foot slipped, and he scrambled to reestablish his grip as the three engines snapped their jaws at him to try to grab him. He managed to get a grip on the trunk once again. This was a test of strength, endurance, and patience. He whimpered softly, and readjusted his grip.

Bear slipped down a little further as he desperately scrabbled to get a grip on the tree's trunk once more. His arms were growing weak. His fate was sealed. He stopped just out of reach of the Logging Locos. Ferdinand barely missed him when he snapped his jaws at him, and nearly grabbed him by the tail. Bear whimpered, and stayed put. He didn't have the strength to climb back up anymore. His arms started to hurt. He looked down to see Bash, and Dash snapping thier powerful jaws at his tail, trying to grab him, and pull him down. Bear would be no more than a snack to just one of the three engines, but it was clear the engines split him between the tree of them. One of his arms gave out, and he fell.

Bash, Dash, and Ferdinand launched themselves at the were-wolf the moment it fell to the ground. They sank their teeth into the were-wolf's tender flesh, and devoured it as if it were a rabbit being torn apart by a pack of half-starved wolves. The only signs that were left behind were bloodied tufts of fur, and splintered bones. They licked the blood from their lips, and made their way back home.

Brenda was out in the backyard, cleaning the carcasses of the deer she had killed just a couple hours ago. It was hard, and dirty work, but she needed to feed the three engines she had taken under wing when they were little kits. Two of her boys were still growing, and had healthy appetites, so it wasn't easy trying to keep the three engines fed. Well, Ferdinand, the eldest of the three brothers was an adult, but didn't need as much as his younger brothers. He never did eat much. It was probably because he made sure his younger brothers were fed before he could eat, if he got the chance to eat at all. Brenda perked up when she heard the three engines pull into the shed next to her cabin.

"Ma! We're home!" Bash called out. Brenda smiled. She was glad the three engines she had raised were now finally able to spend time with their own kind. For years, they were only able to interact with each other, and her, but now they could finally make new friends. It was a blessing.

"I'm in the backyard!" Brenda chimed. She could hear her boys horse playing in the shed. Oh well. Boys will be boys. She picked up one of the deer carcasses, and slung it over her shoulder. She carried into the shed, and the three brothers immediately stopped what they were doing, and slipped closer to her. She stayed perfectly still. She knew she could trust them. She did raise them after all. Bash ever so gently plucked the carcass from her shoulder with his powerful jaws, and devoured it.

Brenda made two more trips, and Dash, and Ferdinand did the same as Bash, gently taking the carcasses from her before devouring them. It was amazing how such powerful, and feared creatures could be so sweet, and gentle. She spent the rest of the evening with them, making sure they had all they needed, and were comfortable. A few hours later, Brenda could tell they were getting tired. They usually stayed up later, but working on Sodor really tuckered them out. Before long, it was time for her boys to hit the sack.

"Alrighty boys, bed time." Brenda stood up from Ferdinand's buffer beam.

"Aw, but Ma!" Dash protested. Brenda crossed her arms. Dash always argued with her when it came to this, but they needed to sleep if they wanted to work on Sodor tomorrow.

"Dash." Brenda gave Dash a stern look.

"Okay." Dash sighed. Brenda gave all three of them a kiss on the forehead before bidding them goodnight. She trudged to her house, exhausted from working to provide for the three engines that she held so dear, and near to her heart, and got ready for bed. She laid down on the bed, and slowly fell asleep.

 **A/N: So there you have it! What do you think of the new version of the Logging Locos? The next chapter is already in the works, and we will soon meet a very special someone that some of you might recognize, but until then, see ya later!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: A quick warning of some violence in this chapter. Things will definitely be picking up from this point forward, and we will learn just what Lady has been hiding from everyone. Anyway, on with the story!**

Patch, and Lily returned to Tidmouth Sheds just as the other engines settled in for the night. Lily opened the box, and pulled out one of the mice by the tail. She offered it to Lady as the mouse helplessly dangled, and squeaked in front of the magical engine. Lady considered the offering for a moment, and then snatched it up in her powerful jaws, and swallowed the morsel whole in one quick gulp. Lily offered her the second one, careful to watch her fingers. Lady devoured that one within seconds too.

Done eating, Lady gently urged the two children to sleep. They had a big day tomorrow. She had asked Whiff a favor when he dropped by to welcome her back to the island. Lily needed a mentor to teach her all she would need to know when it came to being a Rider, especially when it came to defending herself. Whiff offered to have his own Rider teach Lily all that she knew, including how to survive off the land. His Rider had plenty of experience, and sounded like the perfect mentor for Lily. However, there was a problem. His Rider lived on Misty Island. The trip would be risky, but she could shape shift, or use her magic if she needed to. Now that that was taken care of, Lady was able to sleep at ease that night, knowing Lily would be given the necessary training that was no longer an option because of the feud between her kind, and the diesels.

That morning, Lady woke them at the crack of dawn. They needed to get there before the diesels would be able to move around. She gently urged them to climb into her cab, and silently stuck her head out of the shed she had been staying in. She sniffed the air, and listened. No one else was there, except for the Steam Team. She quietly left Tidmouth Sheds, and took one of the routes that were hardly used anymore. It was a bit more rough, but she decided it was best to take this route to make sure the two human children were safe with her. There was so much for Lily to learn about her. Somethings she kept hidden from even Burnett. All magical engines shared blood with mythical creatures, and she, Lady, their leader, shared blood with none other than the most revered creature of legend: the great dragons of old. The dragon DNA was strong in her, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she looses control again. She couldn't keep it in check forever. The dragon sleeps... for now.

Burnett raced to Tidmouth, only to find out he had just missed Lady, and Lily, and they had Patch in their company. Now the stakes were even higher. They were headed for Misty Island. Why would they go all the way over there? As much as he wanted to take off for Misty Island, he needed to rest. Otherwise, he would pass out on the way there. He needed to get there before Diesel 10 finds out about their presence.

...

"What?! Are you sure that's what he said?!" Diesel 10 snarled. Everett nodded.

"He said he was looking for a small purple engine, and a girl with long black hair. He said the engine has his granddaughter. That's why I told you to stay on the lookout for her. Is there something wrong?" Everett was unaware of the fact that the old man he had stumbled across was in fact the owner of the lost engine, the same engine that had defeated Diesel 10 countless times before.

Diesel 10 was furious. Lady had killed, no, _slaughtered_ his previous Rider out of vengeance, and now he was going to return the favor.

"Climb into my cab, kid. I've got a score to settle." Diesel 10 snarled. Everett didn't bother to ask questions, and climbed into the warship's cab. Diesel 10 raced off to Tidmouth Sheds. There was a decent chance she could be found there.

Back at Tidmouth Sheds, Burnett froze in sheer terror when he heard Diesel 10's horn. The warship had found out about Lady, and Lily, and was probably headed for here right now.

"Go! Leave! Now!" Gordon snarled. Burnett quickly crawled through one of the tunnels, his only means of a quick escape, as the Steam Team prepared for a full blown battle. Edward, their leader, emerged from the sheds in all his awesome power, and roared, unleashing a blast of flame, and stopping the warship in his tracks.

"Leave us, Diesel 10, or I swear by the lost engine herself I'll kill your Rider, and leave him for the buzzards!" Edward snarled. Diesel 10 lifted his claw, ready to kill to protect his precious Rider.

"You'll have to kill me first!" Diesel 10 growled.

"So be it." Edward hissed, and quickly landed the first blow. It was on. Edward was much faster than he looked. Diesel 10 couldn't land a devastating blow that would end this duel. Edward would repeatedly strike at Diesel 10's claw, trying to disarm him, and released jets of flame to make sure Diesel 10 would keep his distance. Diesel 10 screamed in pain as he felt a steamie sink its teeth into his flank. He drove it off with a quick snap of his claw, and returned his attention to the elder steamie, trying to protect his Rider from two engines at once.

Emily circled the brawl, and growled softly in frustration. She had barely missed her target by mere inches. This time, she took her time to wait for Diesel 10 to expose his cab. When Diesel 10 lifted his claw, and tried to attack Edward once more, she unleashed a blast of flame, aiming for the warship's cab, where his Rider was hiding. This time, she hit her target.

Diesel 10 let out a deafening wail of agony when the searing pain hit him. He heard Everett cry out, and fall out of of his cab. His Rider was exposed, and an easy target for the steamies. Edward lunged for Everett to rip him apart, but Diesel 10 quickly snatched the boy in his claw, and raced away from the sheds. He hated to retreat, but his Rider was injured, and needed medical attention as soon as possible. Edward gave chase, much to the warship's dismay. It was clear Edward wasn't going to let him go that easily. Finally, after what seemed forever, Edward came to a stop, but not without letting him off with a warning he most likely would follow through with.

"If you ever come back, I'll kill you _and_ your Rider!" Edward roared, but Diesel 10 was already out of sight. Diesel 10 raced back to the dieselworks, where Everett was rushed to the hospital, and Diesel 10's burns were tended to.

 **A/N: So we have our first fight in this story, about time isn't it? Edward is the leader of the Steam Team because he seems to be the eldest of the group, aside from Toby, but Toby doesn't seem to be the right type for a leader, which is why I chose Edward instead. Thomas will take over when Edward retires from his position, or if he dies suddenly. The next chapter is in the works, but until then, see ya later!**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Woo-hoo! Another chapter already! We will see just how bad Lady can be in this chapter . Special thanks to Mike the Red Engine, Emerald Omen, and JocelynPotilloo. Be sure to check out their stories! Anyway, on with the story!**

Lady raced through the tunnel at full speed. If a diesel came up behind her, there would be nowhere to hide, but she could use her speed to her advantage. She slowed down once she reached the other side. They had arrived on Misty Island. Her sharp eyesight pierced the mist with ease, giving her crystal clear vision when humans couldn't see a thing.

"Uh... Lady, where are we going?" Lily was a little uneasy. No surprise there. They probably hadn't even heard of this place before.

"You mean where we are?" Lady giggled. "We are on Misty Island."

"Never heard of it." Patch blinked. Lady figured Patch didn't know about it. Lily however, seemed uneasy. She must have known about the engines that live here. Burnett probably told her stories about the Logging Locos, and their checkered pasts, but... she herself had a bloody past too. All steamies did. It was a part of their nature to destroy, and to slaughter. It was in their blood.

Lily, and Patch jumped, and yelped when they heard something rush past them in the shadows. Lady seemed to be unphased by it. She must not be too concerned about it. The two children weren't sure what it was, but one thing was for sure: they weren't alone.

Bash, and Dash were curious about this new engine. The two children that were with the engine were on edge, which didn't surprise them too much. The two children were right to be scared. Bash chirped, and he, and his two brothers set off for the logging depot.

The mist finally cleared, and Lady slowed to a stop at a logging depot. She sniffed the air. There was no human in the area at this time. They must have fled after what happened with the Logging Locos. The scent of the three engines was strong. They were probably watching her the whole time. Hopefully, they would allow Lady, and the two children hide here for a while.

"A-are we supposed to be here?" Patch shifted nervously. The two children jumped when they heard the distinct growl of a steamie. Lady gently reassured her Rider with a gentle mental embrace. A large tender engine emerged from the shadows.

"What do you want?" the steamie narrowed his eyes. His voice was deep, and his canines were longer than normal. Lady knew who he was. He was the eldest of the three brothers. The other two were probably hanging around in the shadows.

"I need to keep my Rider, and her friend safe. May we stay on your island for a few days?" Lady asked him. Ferdinand seemed a little surprised at her request, but his smile told her he was more than happy to let her stay. Thank goodness.

"Well, make yourselves at home!" Ferdinand purred. As if on cue, Ferdinand's two younger brothers emerged behind Lady. Lily whimpered, and backed up against Lady's helm. She must have known who they were. However, Lily had nothing to fear. The Logging Locos were harmless, well, to her at least.

"It's alright." Bash smiled gently. At least he was trying to make himself appear less intimidating.

"We don't bite." Dash purred.

"Who are you?" Patch was uneasy. He had the right to be uneasy, especially knowing what they had done many years ago.

"I'm Bash. That's Dash, and the big engine in front of you is Ferdinand." Bash replied. Lily didn't want to relax. She didn't want to let her guard down around the three engines. Well, they're only stories right? There was only one way to find out.

"The stories about the three of you... a-are they true?" Lily asked them. Dash bit his lip, and Lily felt sick to her stomach. Bash, and Ferdinand averted her gaze.

"We'd rather not say." Dash grimaced.

"It would be better if you found out for yourself." Bash didn't want to show this much darker side of him, and his brothers to the two children. Although, it seemed Lily knew the horrible truth about them. Lily reached out to Lady.

 _Are the stories true, Lady?_ Lily asked her, fearing the worst. Lady didn't reply right away, not a good sign.

 _I won't tell you directly, but I will take you to the town to see for yourself._ Lady withdrew. Lily could feel Lady's dread. Lady was hiding something from her.

 _What's wrong?_ Lily asked Lady, but the engine didn't reply. She continued to have a conversation with the Logging Locos instead, as if nothing had ever happened. The four engines continued to talk for a good couple hours, and finally parted ways. Lady transformed into a dragon, and took to the air with a quick beat of her wings. The flight only lasted for only a couple minuets, until Lady dived, and landed in the middle of what looked like what was left of a town. The whole town was in ruin. The buildings were either burned, or completely destroyed. Lily looked around. There wasn't a soul in sight. The whole town was grey, and lifeless. Lily grew sick. The Logging Locos were murderers. The stories were true.

"Those poor souls..." Lily was on the brink of tears. What kind of monster would do this?

"What happened here?" Patch looked around. It was probably a good thing he didn't know about the Logging Locos' reign of terror that lasted for decades.

"The Logging Locos... they destroyed this place, burned people alive, and allowed no one to escape. Men, women, and even children... they all perished in their flames..." Lily felt a tear roll down her cheek. Patch's shoulders slumped. He didn't seem as affected by this as Lily was.

"Why? Why would they do this?" Patch couldn't believe three engines were capable of this amount of destruction. He could only imagine what Lady was capable of.

"It is in our blood, little one. When we are young, we hunger for power, and our blood lust is at our strongest." Lady paused. "There is something I need to tell you Lily." Lady knew Lily wouldn't like it, but she needed to know. That way, she would be prepared for when the time comes.

"What?" Lily sniffled, and wiped the tears from her eyes with her shirt sleeve. Lady sighed. She needed to be careful. She didn't want to frighten her Rider.

"I have done this myself, except I destroyed whole _kingdoms_ , not villages. I can control myself for only so long, Lily. I cannot control it forever, and I have a secret that not even Burnett knows." Lady could feel Lily's anger at her. She had a right to be upset about this. Lady's blood lust was far more powerful than a normal steamie's. She was more dangerous than Diesel 10, but Burnett took the risk. The dragon deep inside Lady's very soul was stirring. It was only a matter of time before she loses control again, and Lily needed to be ready for when it happens.

"What is it?" Lily tightened her grip on one of Lady's back spikes. Lady didn't reply right away. She needed to be careful about this.

"I am far more powerful than anyone can imagine, Lily. I was created to destroy, to be a doom bringer to all who dares to oppose me. I have the blood of a beast of legend in my veins." Lady felt Lily's absolute horror. She figured her Rider would be horrified by the fact that she was built for battle, built for war. However, Lily would come to appreciate eventually... hopefully.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked. Lady didn't reply. As it turns out, no one knew very much about the magical engine, not even Burnett, her caretaker knew much about her. Lily, and Patch clung to Lady's neck as Lady suddenly bunched her muscles, and took to the air with a quick beat of her wings.

Lady searched the island for a suitable place for her Rider, and her friend to rest for the night. The cliffs of a valley near the waterfall seemed to be a suitable place. It was isolated, had a constant source of fresh water, and plenty of prey would probably be drawn to the water. She slowly descended, and gingerly landed on a suitable spot. She laid down, and the humans slid down her wing onto the ground. She looked down at the two humans. She needed some time to herself, and to gather materials for a nest, so that the two children could have shelter from the elements.

"I will gather materials for a nest. I won't be long." Lady took the air, and roared to bid them farewell, a sound that struck fear in the hearts of Lady's enemies. Lily, and Patch sat down on the hard rock, and shivered. It was a bit colder up here.

"I never knew steamies could be so bloodthirsty." Patch held his legs to try to stay warm. Lily shook her head.

"I was hoping that the stories weren't true." Lily sniffled, and looked down at the ground.

"But... Lady said it was just a stage, right? It doesn't last forever." Patch had begun to understand the steamies. They were feared, yet loved. They were the dragons of the rails. If that was the case, then what about the diesels? Do they fear the steamies, or are they just as powerful? He wasn't sure, everyone feared Lady it seemed like, except for Diesel 10. Did Diesel 10 have a Rider? Patch thought it was so bizarre to see such a huge, and powerful creature being so gentle, and nurturing. It wouldn't last long. Unless... Diesel 10 does have a soft side to him after all.

 **A/N: And there you have it! The next chapter is already in the works, and we will finally see Lady's blood lust come through, and show it's ugly face. Until next time, see ya later!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Here we finally see just how bad Lady can be, so a quick warning of some violence and death in this chapter. Also, to Guest, I update the story every couple days, so please be patient. Thomasfanfictionista, I am already working on the next chapter, so it will be up as soon as possible. Anyway, on with the story!**

Lady circled the island like great vulture, occasionally landing to pick up materials for a nest for the two human children to stay in for tonight. She landed in the logging depot, and looked down when something glittering in the sun caught her eye. It was a gold coin that a human had left behind that was lying under the tracks. Lady knew it was useless as a nest material, yet she hungered for it. She slithered between the tracks, and snatched the coin. Now that no one was watching, she could let her true self show itself.

She took the air once more, and her sharp eyesight picked out a humans wearing a golden ring. Apparently, not all the humans fled, or they were just starting to return to the island after years of vacating it. She snorted. She didn't want to harm the human, but deep inside, she wanted the trinket... now. If she let him live, he would know too much, and would most likely tell someone about her. She circled the human, careful to stay out of sight. When the time was right, she dived, and landed in front of the human. The hard ground cracked under her immense weight. The human screamed, and tried to run away from her. Lady slammed her tail on the ground in front of him, cutting him off. The human whimpered, and cowered before her. Lady held back a twisted smile at the human's fear. He _should_ be afraid of her.

"What do you want from me?" the human was shaking in fear. Lady snorted, black smoke billowed from her nostrils, and looked down at his ring. The human immediately covered his hand.

"You can't have that! It's my wedding band!" the human flinched when Lady snarled at him. "No! You can't have it!"

Lady let the fire in her belly rise, and she let out a blast of flame from her powerful jaws, burning the human alive. The human screamed in agony, but quickly succumbed to the intense heat of her flames. Her stomach let out a thunderous growl the moment the smell of rotisserie meat hit her nose. She plucked the ring from his corpse, and devoured the foolish human. He was lucky she decided to kill him rather than just eating him alive. She had done it before to several of the hikers that dared to wander into her shed for shelter. She never grew bored of the sweet flavor of the blood of her prey. It was like she couldn't get enough of it. Oh well, she could do it to the next one.

Lady took to the air once more, and searched the island for anything else of value, but found nothing. Frustrated, she returned to the ridge by the waterfall, where her Rider, and her friend were waiting for he, and began to construct a small shelter for the two humans.

Lily reached out to Lady, and felt a fierce hunger for gold, greed. It wasn't like Lady to be like this. Lady lifted her head to look at her. Her golden eyes were feral. Something was wrong. Lady snorted, and then returned to building the small shelter. Lily poked, and prodded at Lady's mind. It felt so alien now. Lady finally let her in, and greed, and blood lust emanated from Lady in sickening waves. Lily quickly withdrew. Lady obviously hadn't outgrown her violent stage, or was there something else to it? Once Lady was finished constructing the small shelter, she slithered over to the other side of the ridge, and placed a golden coin, and a ring onto the ground. Lady laid down on top of them as if to guard them, her first treasure hoard on Misty Island.

"Where did you get those?" Lily raised an eyebrow. Lady smiled, baring her fangs.

"I found the coin, and a human was kind enough to give me his ring." Lady replied. Lily could sense Lady was hiding something from her.

"Is there something you're not telling me, Lady?" Lily raised an eyebrow at her. Lady's smile faded, and snorted, black smoke billowed from her nostrils.

"You're not ready." Lady growled. The ground shook beneath them it was so deep, and had so much power behind it.

"What do you mean I'm not ready?" Lily crossed her arms.

"You won't see me the same way again." Lady narrowed her eyes to golden slits. "I told you I shared blood with a beast of legend." Lady was growing agitated.

"What kind of beast?" Lily was pressing Lady for answers, maybe pressing her a little too much.

"ENOUGH!" Lady snarled. Patch, and Patch flinched. "You do not understand the power I posses!" Lady snapped. Lily shook he head, and sighed.

Lily walked off to the other side of the ridge, and sat down on the hard rock. Patch sat down beside her.

"What's up with her?" Patch whispered.

"I don't know, but I don't like it." Lily grumbled. She looked back over her shoulder to see Lady using her wings to create a tent around her to isolate herself from her Rider. "She's stubborn."

"Maybe she's doing it to protect you." Patch knew Lady cared more about Lily than Lily might have known. Perhaps it was better off to wait until Lady thought Lily was ready to handle it.

Lady felt horrible for snapping at her Rider, but she had to protect Lily from the beast dwelling deep in her very soul. Lily just didn't understand her great power, and obviously didn't hear just what beast of legend she shared blood with. She had kept this secret from Tasha, and even Burnett, but Lily... she just might have to tell her the horrible truth about her. She opened her wings slightly.

"Why don't you two go, and make friends with the Logging Locos? They have been wanting to get to know you two." Lady suggested to them. Lily sighed.

"Fine." Lily stood up, and climbed down the ridge, with Patch trailing behind her. She didn't want to leave Lady like this. There were so many questions, and Lady wasn't willing to answer them. She looked back up at the ridge. Lady had enclosed herself within her wings again. Lily shook her head, and together, she and Patch made their way to the logging depot. She grew sick as she saw the logging locos roughhousing.

 _Murderers_. Lily thought. She had had enough of this place. There was so much suffering, and death here. She couldn't bring herself to move any closer to three engines.

"Are you okay?" Patch asked her softly. Lily shook her head.

"No, you can go ahead, and introduce yourself to them... I think I'm going to be sick." Lily grew pale. Patch saw she needed some space. He nodded, and left her to chat with the Logging Locos. Lily retreated into the forest, and threw up. She wiped her mouth, and sat down on a rotting log, holding her head in her hands, and sobbing softly. A few minutes later, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She looked up, expecting to see Patch, but saw a middle-aged woman instead, who was wearing a worn flannel shirt, and jeans. Her hazel eyes had a glint of worry in them, and her auburn hair was barely past her shoulders, which meant there maybe others here since her hair had been cut.

"Who are you?" Lily straightened.

The woman smiled warmly. "The name's Brenda. I take care of the Logging Locos." she held out a hand to her. Lily reluctantly shook it.

"I'm Lily, nice to meet you." Lily smiled weakly. Brenda sat down beside her.

"The Logging Locos told me about you, and your friend, and I thought you two ought to get a proper welcome, unlike the usual stalking around from my boys." Brenda chuckled.

"Are there other people here, or did they all flee the island after... the incident?" Lily asked. Brenda's smile faded.

"Sadly, I'm the only one who stays here. I can't abandon my three boys. I raised them since they were just little kittens." Brenda replied.

"Then... why did they attack the town here, then?" Lily felt terrible for asking Brenda about the attack, but it was likely she would know the answer more than anyone else.

"Hmm... how can I explain this... um... you see, steamies are not like the diesels by any means. This includes their instincts. A steamie is born with a killer instinct, and a lust for blood. The diesels lack this. Think of a steamie as similar to a lion, or another powerful predator. Killing is in their DNA. They are made for the kill, and when they are teenagers, their lust for blood is at it's strongest. They were beyond my control. Killing is what makes steamies steamies, like how your talents makes you you, and unfortunately, nobody can control that." Brenda did her best to explain this to the child.

"But... Lady is an adult. She's still bloodthirsty." Lily looked down at the ground. Brenda's eyes grew wide in wonder.

"You mean the lost engine? She's here?" Brenda had heard legends about Lady when she was a child, but never imagined they were true. Lily nodded.

"I'm her Rider." Lily raised a hand to show Brenda the wheel on her palm. "She's not as gentle as I thought she was." Lily sighed. "It's like she enjoys killing whatever, or whoever stands before her."

"Hmm... that's odd. Can you describe some of her behavior to me? I might not be an expert on steamies, but I know enough about them to raise one." Brenda raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well, at first she was really sweet, but recently, she's been getting worse. When I reached out to her, I felt greed, and blood lust from her. It made me feel sick. She has _never_ acted like that before." Lily thought Brenda wouldn't be able to come up with an explanation for Lady's sudden change in behavior, but it was worth a try.

"Hmm... I never heard of an engine having a hunger for gold... That's strange. I heard magical engines are hybrids, is that true?" Brenda needed more information in order to get to the bottom of this.

"Yeah. She says she has the blood of a beast of legend flowing through her veins. She told me she destroyed whole kingdoms years ago. She has two treasure hoards too." Lily looked up at Brenda.

"That narrows it down quite a bit. There are two creatures that gather treasure to decorate their lairs: the griffin, and the dragon. However, since she has two treasure hoards, which I assume are huge, it seems she's actually part dragon. Dragons are notorious for destroying whole kingdoms for gold to adorn their lairs. That would explain her hoarding behavior, and why the presence of gold can cause a sudden increase in her aggression." Brenda knew it was a shot in the dark. If Lady's Rider didn't know much about her, then no one ever will.

Now it made sense. Lady's hunger for treasure, and lust for blood made it all too obvious. Lady shared blood with the dragons, which meant Lady was able to destroy the Sodor with ease, She grew horrified when she realized that was only half of it. Lady posed a threat to not only Sodor, but the real world as well.

"That's just my opinion. I don't know Lady as well as you do." Brenda looked down at her.

"There's only one way to find out." Lily stood up. "Would you like to come, and see her? This might be the one chance she'll let you see her." Lily looked at Brenda.

"Why of course! It's not everyday you get to see such a powerful engine!" Brenda smiled, and stood up. Together, they walked back to the ridge, while Lily was bracing herself to face Lady's anger.

 **A/N: So, there we have it! Now we know the truth about the magical engine herself. Lady is the one responsible for so many hikers going missing in Muffle Mountain, and is known for eating humans, more often than she lets on as a matter of fact. The next chapter is already in the works, so until we meet again, see ya later!**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Finally, another chapter! I've been wanting to get to this chapter for a long time. Those who have read Protector will see a familiar face, but I will explain how it's possible in the author's notes. Anyway, on with the story!**

Lady poked her snout out from her wings she had wrapped around herself to isolate herself from the outside world when she heard footsteps, and caught the familiar scent of her Rider, but a strange unknown scent accompanied her. Curious, Lady unfolded her wings, and looked down at her Rider. A middle-aged woman was in the child's company. The woman froze at the sight of the powerful engine in such a beastly form, an amusing sight for the magical engine nonetheless.

"It's okay. She won't hurt you." Lily reassured Brenda. To be honest, she wasn't sure if Lady was safe to approach anymore. Lady was a bloodthirsty monster. No wonder why Burnett hid her away in the mountain. He did it to protect the townsfolk from Lady's wrath. She needed to be careful approaching this. It could very badly very quickly. Lady's temper was not to be trifled with.

"I know what you are, Lady." Lily crossed her arms. Lady simply stared at her as if she had no idea what she was talking about. Lily sighed. Lady still tried to refuse to tell her.

"The dragon DNA in your blood?" Lily raised an eyebrow. Lady's golden eyes grew wide in shock. She must not have expected Lily to find out, especially from an outside source. Lily frowned, and reached out to Lady's mind to press her for an answer. Lady bowed her head.

 _There are two things Burnett, your grandfather, doesn't know about me, Lily._ Lady looked into Lily's eyes. _The scientists used dragon DNA to create me. I was going to be used for war, but a shape shifter stole me from the laboratory, and sold me to Burnett when I was just a kit. The power I bear in my veins is unimaginable. I hid it from you, so you wouldn't be afraid of me, and to keep you safe from this other side of me._

Lily could feel Lady's sincerity, and regret. Lady truly cared about her, even if it currently didn't seem like it. Perhaps, it was best for Lady to keep it a secret to begin with. This was just going to be something between her, and Lady. Burnett didn't need to know he had raised a monster. He probably wouldn't be able to take it, nor feel safe around the engine when he goes to her shed in Muffle Mountain to check on her. Patch seemed to understand it was in Lady's nature, but Lily didn't feel comfortable being bonded with such a bloodthirsty beast. Lady had lost control of herself once, and destroyed whole kingdoms, but Lily might be able to stop it from happening again. It was one of her duties as a Rider: to protect the innocent from all evil, even if it's her own engine.

 _I'm doing my best to keep the dragon deep inside me under control. I just don't want to hurt you on accident, Lily. I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Please... forgive me... understand that I was doing what I thought was right. If you don't, I understand, Lily._ Lady was on the brink of tears, a sight Lily had never thought she'd be able to see. Lily laid a hand on Lady's snout. Lady was only trying to protect her from herself. Lily knew that Burnett probably wouldn't be able to control Lady if she snaps again. However, since Lily, and Lady were bonded as Rider, and engine, Lily had a much bigger chance to calm her than Burnett. She knew Lady would never hurt her.

 _I forgive you. It's just... this is so much to take in... especially knowing grandpa doesn't know about this. We better go find Patch. He's probably wondering where I am._ Lily climbed onto Lady's back, and grabbed onto one of Lady's golden back spikes. She looked at Brenda.

"Come one, you can come too, just be careful not to cut yourself on her scales. They're pretty sharp." Lily tightened her grip a little as Lady laid down on the hard rock, letting Brenda climb onto her back. The woman was a little hesitant, understandable considering Lady could snatch her up in a split second. Once Brenda had climbed onto the engine's back, and grabbed hold of one of Lady's back spikes, Lady took to the air, and headed for the logging depot. There was a high chance the Logging Locos were there.

Back in the forest, Shadowpelt sat on the tree limb as she pulled the cable back on her bow as she prepared to take the shot. Her target, a plump doe, was peacefully grazing on the grass beneath her perch. Shadowpelt took her aim, and released. The arrow hit her target within the blink of an eye. The doe ran off a bit before collapsing to the ground, never to rise again. Shadowpelt leapt from her perch, and landed on the ground beneath her. She needed to proved for the engine she was bonded to just as how her engine had provided for her. She recovered her arrow, and stuffed sage into the deer's mouth to help it on it's journey to the afterlife. The doe had lived a good life, judging by it's size.

Shadowpelt started to drag the doe back to her horse, and then froze when she heard a twig snap. She quickly scaled a tree, and uneathed her bow, ready to defend herself if she had to. She readied an arrow, and stood strong. She was ready to take the shot. She stopped when a human child walked underneath her. She detected a familiar energy around the child. She knew this energy, and lowered her bow. This child was a steamie's Rider, a friend. When the human was far enough, Shadowpelt sheathed her bow, and leapt from her perch. She reached out for her engine, and called for him. It would be better for him to come to her rather than risking being discovered.

Lily had dismounted Lady the moment she landed in the logging depot, much to Lady's dismay. Brenda slid from Lady's back, and headed for home after bidding the two of them goodbye. Lily knew it was unlikely the Logging Locos would hurt Patch, but she couldn't take any chances. Luckily, she found him at an old shed, and the Logging Locos hadn't touched him. They seemed to have treated him rather well actually. They must have taken a liking to him. Lily quickly took Patch back to Lady, who was back to normal on the rails, but to her surprise, she was talking with another engine. He was green, and wore silver glasses. He must be a good friend of hers. Lily felt Lady's familiar presence in her mind.

 _Come, little one... it's time you meet your mentor._ Lady withdrew. So _that's_ what Lady was talking to him about. His Rider must have offered to teach her all she needed to know about being a Rider. The two humans climbed into her cab, and Lady followed the other engine, which they later learned was named Whiff. He seemed to know this island well. Perhaps, he lived here with the Logging Locos.

Shadowpelt kept her bow ready as she watched the purple, and golden steamie, and it's Rider come to a stop beneath her. She considered firing a warning shot at the human in the Rider's company, but decided it was best to remain still, and not risk being detected. Whiff, the engine she was bonded to, had led them here for a reason that she wasn't quite sure of yet.

Whiff made a sound that sounded like chirping. He was calling for his Rider. A were-cat dropped from her perch, and landed on her feet on the hard earth. She had emerald eyes, dark grey cat ears, and a dark grey tail. Lily held her breath, expecting for Whiff, and Lady to rip the were-cat apart right in front of her. Much to her surprise, the two engines did nothing to harm the were-cat. The were-cat sheathed her bow, and slowly joined Whiff's side, not taking her eyes off Lady, or the two children in the magical engine's company. Whiff nudged the were-cat with his nose, and gestured for her to introduce herself. She seemed a little suspicious at first, but Whiff gently coaxed her to speak.

"Gondam, Dova. Gondam, boyar. Jienda." the were-cat gestured for the two children to approach. Lily, and Patch looked at each other, unsure if it was okay to do this, then reluctantly left the safety of Lady's cab, and approached the were-cat. The were-cat raised her hand, and pointed at the white marking on her palm, the mark of a Rider.

"Dova." the were-cat's voice was smooth, and soft like water flowing over pebbles on a peaceful spring morning. Lily was perplexed at this. The were-cats, and steamies never got along too well. Yet, Whiff chose a were-cat for a Rider. Perhaps, the two races could get along after all.

"You're a Rider?" Lily raised an eyebrow at her. Whiff inched forward a little bit. He must know the were-cat's language in order to break the language barrier between the two children, and the were-cat.

"Yes, she's my Rider." Whiff replied. Why would Whiff choose a were-cat as his Rider? Out of all the people on Sodor, and Misty Island, he chose her. It was a strange thought that a ruthless predator could get along so well with one of it's favorite prey items. Perhaps, Whiff was different than the other engines. He may see were-cats differently than other steamies.

"I thought the were-cats, and steamies didn't get along?" Lily cocked her head to the side. Whiff frowned. He must have been offended from her assuming he was a ruthless killer.

"Well, I'm different. I actually like the were-cats. They are cunning, agile, and have vast knowledge about the arcane, like Lady, except more friendly." Whiff was willing to tell Lily only what she needed to know. He couldn't risk having his Rider being discovered by anyone else, even his fellow steamies were unaware of the were-cat's presence, and he wanted to keep it that way. The were-cat pointed at Patch, who seemed more curious than cautious.

"Boyar. Lutik?" the were-cat raised an eyebrow at him. The two children blankly stared at her. They were unfamiliar with the language of the were-cats. Lily would have learn it if she was to cast spells, since most of them were, in fact, in the language of the were-cats. It bared no name, which helped to ensure it would remain hidden, until now.

"Is that kid a friend of yours, Lily?" Whiff was now acting as a translator for both the two children, and the were-cat. The were-cat had taught him her kind's tongue, and now those lessons were starting to pay off.

"Yes. His name's Patch." Lily nodded. The were-cat smiled and pointed at her chest.

"Shadowpelt." the were-cat's dark grey tail twitched, sweeping the leaves on the ground. She seemed to have taken a liking to the two humans in order to reveal her identity. Were-cats were very secretive, elusive almost, but once they trust you, they are more than happy to make conversation with thier new friend. Shadowpelt must have seen something in the two children.

"Your name is Shadowpelt?" Patch asked her. He had never heard of anyone having a name similar to that. Perhaps, it was something unique only to the were-cats.

"Yes." Whiff replied. "I have offered Lady to have my Rider be Lily's mentor, and have her teach her all she needs to know about being a Rider."

Shadowpelt looked at him in surprise. Lily held back a chuckle. It was obvious Whiff had done this without Shadowpelt knowing. Whiff looked down at his Rider, and Shadowpelt averted his gaze. They were silent for a few moments. They were having a mental conversation with each other. Whiff must have been trying to convince Shadowpelt to teach Lily all that she would need to know. Finally, Whiff spoke up.

"Shadowpelt will take you, and your friend back to camp, Lily." Whiff returned his gaze to the two children. He wanted to help Lady as much as he could, and volunteering his Rider to act as a mentor to her own Rider seemed to take a lot of weight of her shoulders. Shadowpelt was in an isolated area, where diesels hardly visited, if at all. He hadn't seen a diesel here in years. This was a safe haven for Lady, and her Rider.

"What about Lady? Where will he go?" Lily fretted. Shadowpelt looked back over her shoulder at Whiff. She must have told him something because his smile returned.

"She can join you at Shadowpelt's camp. You can either take the journey, and meet at her camp everyday, or stay in her camp. It's your choice." Whiff replied. He was speaking for Shadowpelt. She must have grown tired of having him translate for the two children. To be honest, Whiff seemed a little relieved about it. He must have thought the same thing.

"I think it would be best to stay at her camp. That way, no one will get suspicious of Shadowpelt's presence, and I can save some essential energy for my magic." Lady took the form of a great wolf with Lady's coloration, and joined Shadowpelt's side. Shadowpelt nodded, and turned to the forest.

"Cheveyo, jienda!" Shadowpelt called out. A few moments later, an American Paint horse trotted up to her. The horse whinnied, and chewed at the bit when it saw Lady. It knew she was a predator. Shadowpelt approached the horse, and gently hushed it. It slowly calmed down, and pawed at the ground with it's hazel hooves. Shadowpelt looked back at Whiff. She must have been speaking to him again.

"She wants to know if you two want to ride her horse back to camp. It's a long walk from here." Whiff looked at them. Cheveyo snorted, and nudged Shadowpelt's shoulder with his nose. Shadowpelt smiled, and spoke softly to him in her kind's sacred tongue.

"Sure!" Patch eagerly climbed onto Cheveyo's back. The horse was in excellent shape, and much to his surprise, the horse only had a blanket made of animal hides on his back, rather than the usual saddle. Shadowpelt must have been riding horses for years, for she was practically riding him bareback. Shadowpelt helped Lily onto Cheveyo's back, grasped the reins of the bridle, and led him back to her camp, with Lady trailing beside her.

They walked for what seemed hours, until they finally arrived in a clearing, where Shadowpelt had set up camp. There was a small makeshift shelter, big enough for only one person to lay in, that was made out of tree limbs, leaves, and vines with moss on the floor to act as a bed. It was better than nothing, and being out in the elements. Shadowpelt helped the two children down from Cheveyo's back, and patted him to thank him for the ride. All creatures of the world needed to be treated with respect, for everything was connected. If one species went extinct, the whole ecosystem would collapse. She saw him as an equal, and treated him well, and he treated her well in return. He was far more intelligent than what most people thought. He knew if something was wrong, and would actively seek her out to find her. He knew his name, and was in-tune with his owner. He was sensitive to her, and was far more loyal than a dog. He stayed by her side through thick, and thin, and he didn't seem to want to leave her anytime soon. He had become attached to her, just as how she had become attached to him.

Shadowpelt had used the mental bond she shared with Whiff to contact Cheveyo before, and every time she did, she felt a kind and gentle soul. She knew he was intelligent, and experienced some of his emotions first hand. It only brought them close together. They were more than woman, and beast. They were friends to the end. They were family.

Shadowpelt gestured for the two humans to make themselves comfortable as she began to construct two more shelters for the two children to sleep in. Lily, and Patch offered to help, but Shadowpelt simply shook her head. They were her guests, and soon to be students. Shadowpelt gathered a large amount of moss before spreading it out onto the floor of the structure to act as a bed for the two children to rest in. Once she wad done, she examined her handwork, and gave it a nod of approval. She sat down on a stump next to the fire ring, and noticed Patch was drawing in the dirt with a stick. It didn't take him long to get bored.

"Loke?" Shadowpelt raised an eyebrow at him. Patch looked up at her.

"Hm?" Patch had a sneaking suspicion the were-cat knew at least some English. How would she be able to communicate with Whiff anyway? Unless, they had a mutual understanding between each other, and knew deep down what they were saying to each other. He doubted it. Whiff must have taught her at least some English.

"Loke?" Shadowpelt titled her head to the side slightly.

"I-I don't understand." Patch jumped a little as he felt Lady reach out to him. He could never get used to that. How could Lily already be used to it?

 _She's asking you if you're bored._ Lady rested her head between her paws. Lady seemed to know Shadowpelt's language as well. Well, what could he expect? Were-cats were creatures of magic. It didn't seem too surprising Lady knew what Shadowpelt was saying.

"A little." Patch shrugged. Shadowpelt nodded.

"Ah." Shadowpelt unsheathed her bow, and offered it to him. "Eh?"

Patch looked back at Lady for her to translate. Lady sighed.

 _She's offering you to teach you how to use a bow. She thinks it's a good idea for both you, and Lily to know how to defend yourselves should the situation arise._ Lady looked at Patch with her mesmerizing golden eyes. Patch looked back at Shadowpelt, and nodded. Shadowpelt gently took his hand in hers, and led to him to a safe place where he could practice without risking hitting anyone. Lily reached out Lady, who was taking it easy. Lady needed this break. She had been doing nothing except for worrying about the safety of her Rider, and her Rider's friend.

 _How long do you think my lessons will take?_ Lily asked her. Lady looked up at the sky with her golden eyes. She was thinking.

 _It could take a few months, a few years, maybe. Your lessons will take as long as they take. I can't speed up time, but I can already guess we're going to be here for a while. You need to relax, Lily._ Lady yawned lazily, flashing her wickedly sharp fangs for a split second.

 _How can I relax when there is a monster right next to me?_ Lily frowned. Lady lifted her head, and narrowed her eyes to golden slits.

 _I am NOT a monster! It's the instincts I was born with! I cannot control them all the time._ Lady growled softly. She was obviously irritated at Lily' accusation.

 _Then you need to control them better._ Lily crossed her arms. It was going to be a long day.

 **A/N: Yes, it is the same Shadowpelt that is Wildmask's mother, but she had been away from Zebedee for so long, the bond between them crumbled, and withered away, and cannot be reformed. She ended up shipwrecking on Misty Island, where she is today, and seems to have trouble remembering how she got there in the first place. Alright, now for some language lessons.**

 **Gondam is pronounced "Gone"- "Dahm". It means "Hello", or "Greetings" in were-cat.**

 **Dova is pronounced "Doe"- "Vah. It means "Rider" in were-cat.**

 **Boyar is pronounced "Boy"- "Yar". It means "child" in were-cat.**

 **Lutik is pronounced "Loo"- "Teek". It means "friend" in were-cat.**

 **Jienda is pronounced " Gee" - "Yawn" - "Duh". It means "come", or "approach" in were-cat.**

 **Loke is pronounced "Low" - "Ck". It means "bored" in were-cat.**

 **Alright, now for some fun facts about Cheveyo! "Cheveyo" means Spirit Warrior in Native American tongue. I thought it would be fitting for him. An American Paint is considered sacred to Native American tribes, and only the chiefs were allowed to ride them. Certain coats on the horse, like the medicine hat coat, was highly valued. The shield shape marking on their chest was believed to give the rider spiritual protection in battle, further convincing me to give him such a name. The next chapter is already in the works, and until next time, see ya later!**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Whoo-hoo! Another chapter! A quick warning of some slight gore in this chapter, just a heads up. Anyway, on with the story!**

Patch struggled to pull the cord of the bow back as Shadowpelt gently corrected the position of his elbow. Shadowpelt was much stronger than she looked. Were-cats were creatures that possessed great power in both magic, and physical strength. They were amongst the most powerful races on Fantanzia, their homeland. This only proved the stories he had heard. He took his aim, and fired. The cable hit his arm, and the arrow flew over the target, and hit a tree behind it. He grimaced, and hissed in pain as the welt the cord left on his arm burned. Shadowpelt examined his arm, and poured some cool water over the welt to take down the swelling. She must have done it before more than once.

Shadowpelt showed him the proper way to hold the bow. She had a loose grip, and the bow itself, and balanced it on her fingers in her fist. She pulled the cable back as she pushed the bow forward. Now it made sense. That way, neither of them would hurt their shoulders from putting too much strain on it from pulling the cable back. She handed the bow to Patch, and he did exactly as Shadowpelt showed him. She smiled.

"Inuk! Inuk!" Shadowpelt was praising him. Patch took his aim, and fired. This time, the arrow barely hit it's target. That was an improvement. Shadowpelt showed him the proper stance for preparing to fire the bow. She stood strong, inhaled deeply, and held her breath as she took her aim, and then released her breath once she had fired the bow. The arrow hit it's target directly in the center. She let him give it a try.

Patch did exactly as Shadowpelt had showed him. It was much easier to hold the bow still while aiming this way. He took his aim, and fired, letting out his breath only when he released the cord. The arrow hit it's target next to her own arrow. He was learning quickly.

"Hissor! Hissor!" Shadowpelt patted him on the back, and recovered her arrows. Patch examined the bow. There were beautiful intricate carvings on the grip of the bow. Were-cats were known for thier exquisite craftsmanship, and this bow was a prime example. Shadowpelt must have made the bow herself. She must know how to wittle if she made these small, yet beautiful carvings. Suddenly, Shadowpelt froze. Her dark grey cat ears swiveled as she listened.

"What's wrong?" Patch knew something was wrong. He could tell by watching Shadowpelt's body language. Shadowpelt suddenly pulled him aside into the bushes just before the Logging Locos slunk by over the rails on the hill beside them. They were harmless to him, but meant a whirlwind of danger to a were-cat.

Shadowpelt decided it was best to take him back to the safety of the camp before the Logging Locos could find them. She led him back to the camp, and made sure the two children were safe before reaching out to Lady, and telling her she would be off to find food for them. The two humans would need to keep up thier strength if they were to keep up with her training. Shadowpelt climbed onto Cheveyo's back, and rode off into the dense forest.

Lily saw the opportunity to ask Whiff about her a little bit, and reached out to him. Whiff flinched a little when he felt her brush against his mind, and then realized it was her. Whiff returned the gentle touch to acknowledge her presence.

 _Does anyone know about your Rider, Whiff?_ Lily looked back in the direction where the rails were off in the distance. Whiff didn't reply right away. He seemed to be rather hesitant to answer questions regarding his Rider. He didn't want anyone to know too much about her.

 _No... and I want to keep it that way. Don't tell anyone about her, or else._ Whiff growled deep in his throat. Lily shuddered. Whiff was bent on keeping his Rider a secret from his own kind. However, he had good reason to want to keep her hidden. A steamie would kill a were-cat on sight, but Whiff didn't need to threaten her. Good thing Lady wasn't eavesdropping on the conversation, or Lady probably would have attacked him for that.

 _Can she speak English? You understand her, so she must understand you at least a little bit._ Lily raised an eyebrow. She sensed Whiff was a bit annoyed at her questioning, but she could probably get a few more answers out of him.

 _That you'll have to find out for yourself._ Whiff replied, and withdrew.

Back in the forest, Shadowpelt gently urged Cheveyo to stop, and dismounted him after grabbing her bow from his side. She quickly scaled a tree, and perched on a limb that was strong enough to support her weight. She looked down at Cheveyo, who was looking up at her.

"Go hide, Cheveyo." Shadowpelt urged him in her kind's tongue. Cheveyo snorted, and ambled into the underbrush. He was far more intelligent than what most humans believed. He was more than an animal. He was a friend. He was family. Shadowpelt readied her bow, and listened carefully. She needed to be able to react at a moment's notice. After about twenty minutes, a buck darted underneath her. Shadowpelt had little time to respond. She pulled the cord back, and fired. The arrow missed the deer's chest, and hit it's flank instead.

Shadowpelt cursed in her kind's tongue, leapt from her perch, and followed the blood trail. She must have hit a major organ, or an artery. The blood trail was not a few drops of blood. It was a steady trail, making it much easier to track. She finally found the buck laying on it's side, bellowing in pain. She hated to have caused it so much pain. All creatures of Earth deserved to be respected. She only wished to take what she needed, and gave back twice as much in exchange for the life she was about to take.

She kneeled beside the deer, unsheathed her dagger, and spoke to it in her kind's ancient tongue. "I am sorry, brother. Thank you for the strength you will give us. May you find peace in the other life, brother." Shadowpelt thrusted her dagger into the buck's heart. The buck grew still. It was dead. She recovered her arrow, and called for Cheveyo. Cheveyo trotted up to her, and turned so she could stow the buck on his back for him to carry back to camp. Shadowpelt looked down at the buck, and knew she wouldn't be able to lift it, at least not like this. She looked around to see if anyone was watching, and began to transform.

Dark grey fur with black blotches burst through her skin, as her muscles burned, and bulged as she grew in size, and muscle. Her tan skin gave way to armor as her nose, and mouth contorted into a snout. Her finger nails became black claws as her transformation quickened. Her eye sockets burned as her teeth became fangs. Once the transformation was complete, she was no longer the feeble, and harmless were-cat a steamie would not hesitate to kill. She was now a great beast. She would have towered over an adult human in this form. She was far more powerful in this form, but still no match for a steamie. It provided her with at least a little bit of protection.

Shadowpelt lifted the buck, and slung it over her shoulder as if were a sack of flour. She walked over to Cheveyo, her heavy footsteps creating deep tracks in the soft earth beneath her. She gently laid the buck on Cheveyo's back, and fastened it to him with leather straps made of animal hide. She gestured for him to follow her, and led him back to camp.

Lily, and Patch shot up, and stepped back as a dark grey beast emerged from the undergrowth with Cheveyo in it's company. The creature showed them it's palm, and they realized it was Shadowpelt. They relaxed as they watched Shadowpelt lift the buck from Cheveyo's back, patted the side of his neck to thank him, and ambled off to an area that was out of sight of the two children.

Shadowpelt stuck the head of the buck between tree limbs, and transformed back into her normal form. Her dark grey fur receded as her armor sank back into her skin. Her claws reverted back to finger nails, and her snout became more human like. Once she was back to normal, she unsheathed her dagger, and began to clean the deer carcass. Lady decided it was a good time to go hunt for her own food, and disappeared into the forest. She wanted to make sure the two children would be able to eat plenty. Even if it meant, providing them food from her own hunts. The children came first. She came second.

A few hours later, the sun was starting to set, and Lady returned with a rabbit hanging limply from her jaws. She dropped it by the fire ring, and sat down. She wanted the children to eat first before she ate. She wanted to make sure the children had plenty before devouring the morsel she had caught. Shadowpelt gathered materials for the fire, placed it in the fire ring, and then set it ablaze by uttering a single word. This piqued Lily's interest. If Shadowpelt could do that just by saying a simple word, maybe, just maybe, Lily could teach her magic. It would be handy if she would ever find herself in a pinch.

Shadowpelt set stones close to the fire, and allowed them to warm up as she cut strips of meat from the deer she had killed. Once the stones were hot enough, she laid the strips on the stones, cooking the meat nicely. Despite being careful, she accidentally burned herself on one of the stones. She cursed, and quickly pulled her hand back.

"Hot! Hot!" Shadowpelt flicked her hand to soothe the burn. She froze when she saw Lily smile. She had been caught.

"I knew you could speak English." Lily chuckled. Her hunch was right all along. Whiff had refused to tell her, but now there was no point in hiding it now.

"Yes, Rider, I speak English." Shadowpelt smiled. Her English wasn't the best, but at least she could understand, and speak it. She resumed cooking the meat for the two children. They needed to eat if they wanted to train tomorrow.

"Whiff did not ask me before offering my help, but that okay. I do not mind teaching fellow Rider." Shadowpelt chuckled, and shook her head. It would have been nice for Whiff if he told her ahead of time, but oh well. It had already been done now. She looked into Lily's eyes, and read her. She could see Lily had found something she shouldn't have. Perhaps it would be good for her to share it. It could lift some weight off if the child's chest.

"You found secret you wish stay hidden?" Shadowpelt raised an eyebrow at Lily. Lily blinked in surprise. She didn't expect Shadowpelt to know about Lady's secret. The legends about the races of Fantanzia told of an ability to read others, like an open book, just by looking into their eyes. Only the were-cats possessed this ability. Perhaps those legends are true. Lily sighed.

"Unfortunately." Lily looked down at the ground. Shadowpelt nodded in understanding.

"Lady powerful, more powerful than me." Shadowpelt carefully removed the strips of meat from the stones, and handed them to the two children. Lady immediately began to devour the rabbit, much to the dismay of the two children.

"Lady will not hurt me as long as I am Rider. A steamie Rider means friend, not enemy. I can trust Lady. Whiff trust her. I trust her too. Lady cares for young Rider like a parent care for child. Lady never hurt you, or friend." Shadowpelt tried to reassure Lily Lady was mostly harmless, which was true in a way. Lady was a ticking time bomb. It was only a matter of time before she loses control of herself again, and slaughters everything in her path, just as she had done decades before Lily was born.

"Even though she's terrigying if you wake her up." Patch snickered softly. Lady growled softly, and he grew pale. The last thing he wanted was to anger Lady. It was probably best to keep his mouth shut for a while.

"Lady sees not only humans as food. Were-wolves are food to her too. Logging Locos kill Bear couple nights ago. Za'roc told me." Shadowpelt gazed into the fire as the flames lit the camp with a soft warm glow.

"Who's Za'roc?" Lily asked her. She had never heard of him. She would have to keep an eye out for him, and see what he knows about this place. It would be even better if he offered them assistance. It would be better to have more people behind her cause to give Tasha some much needed peace.

"He is good friend. He is were-wolf, but we get along. We do not judge one another. His pack lives here. Misty Island is last safe place for us. Steamies eat us like candy." Shadowpelt's smile faded. Lady tried to avoid the conversation. She had eaten a good plenty of were-cats, and were-wolves in her time. It would be best if she didn't bring it up. It would distress the were-cat beside her. Shadowpelt looked Lily's eyes, and read her once more. There was something else bothering her.

"Rider troubled. What eating you?" Shadowpelt asked her. Lily knew it was useless to try to hide it. A were-cat's ability to read another person seemed to be rather annoying, but... it could be a good time to get it off her chest. Shadowpelt must have felt like this before.

"It's just..." Lily sighed. " This is so much to take in. The steamies are monsters, and Lady is not the kind, and gentle engine I thought she was."

Shadowpelt nodded. She had been in this situation before. She had seen Whiff snap once before, but that was years ago. She had to put the past behind her. Lady growled softly at the mention of the word _monster_. She must not be too fond of being compared to a beast.

"Steamies like dragons, but not as bad. Steamies have hearts, dragons do not. Steamies can love, and protect who they care about. Dragons do not care for anyone else except for treasure, and next meal. Lady is different than monster. Lady cares about Rider, and friend. Lady protects Rider, and friend." Shadowpelt knew the child was going through a rough patch, but she could at least explain that Lady would always hold them near and dear to her heart, even if she loses control. She would never hurt them for any reason.

Lady licked the blood from her chops when she was done eating, satisfied with her meal, at least for now. The rabbit won't last her for very long, but it was better than nothing. Lady rolled onto her back, exposing her golden belly to the two humans. She looked at the two humans expectantly. Patch smiled, and rubbed Lady's warm belly. Lady stuck out her tongue, and wagged her tail. Lily reluctantly joined in. Lady's fur was soft, a nice contrast to the sharp, and jagged scales her dragon form had.

Shadowpelt smiled. "See? Lady seems scary, but actually gentle. She does not want to hurt Rider, and friend." Shadowpelt knew Lily was having a hard time coping with this. Perhaps, Lady was doing that to reassure Lily she was the same engine she knew, and loved.

"I guess she's the same engine after all." Lily smiled weakly. Patch yawned. It was getting late. Shadowpelt took notice, and decided it was best to let the two children rest. They probably had a long day today.

"Sleepy?" Shadowpelt raised an eyebrow at him. Patch nodded.

"A little bit." Patch stretched. The two children would probably jump at every little sound if they tried to sleep. It was probably a good idea to keep watch to reassure them they were safe. Usually, Cheveyo would raise the alarm, but tonight, it was her turn to keep watch over the camp.

"You go sleep. I keep watch." Shadowpelt gently reassured them. Lily didn't need to be told twice. She crawled into her shelter, and Patch crawled into his. Lily laid down on the moss, and was surprised when she found it was actually quite dry, and soft. Lady laid between the two shelters to provide the two children with warmth, and comfort. Together, they slowly fell asleep.

 **A/N: Phew! Finally! It's done! Here's a couple more words in were-cat language.**

 **Inuk is pronounced "Ee"- "Nook". It means good, or excellent in were-cat.**

 **Hissor is pronounced "Hiss"- "Sore". It means yes in were-cat.**

 **The next chapter is already in the works. Until next time, see ya later!**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Finally, another chapter! A quick warning of some violence in this chapter, just a heads up. I will do my best to work on both Trust, and this story at the same time. What A Wonderful World is slowly coming together, so please be patient. Anyway, on with the story!**

Lady stirred, and awakened at around midnight. She could feel that her internal fire burning deep within her was getting rather low. She slowly stood up, careful not to wake the two children on either side of her. She silently slipped past Shadowpelt, who nodded at her to acknowledge her presence, and devoured most of what remained of the deer. Lady knew her thirst for blood would eventually become too powerful for her to control, but she could keep it in check for now. It was getting stronger with each passing day, and she found it more, and more difficult to resist tearing apart whatever lied in her path. Her craving for blood was getting stronger. She needed to make sure she didn't lose control, like so many years ago when she slaughtered so many innocent people. The dragon deep within her was starting to stir, and soon, it will be unleashed.

The next morning, Shadowpelt made sure the two children had plenty to eat before starting Lily's first lesson. Before she can even begin to learn the powerful magic the were-cat's possess, she must learn hand-to-hand combat, and then move onto using weapons. Once that was done, Lily would have to strengthen the bond she shared with Lady, and learn how to become one with another being. Neither of which were an easy task, but could very well save her life one day.

Shadowpelt helped Lily onto Cheveyo's back, and rode to a large clearing. This was the perfect place for Lily to practice her skills. There were no distractions, just Shadowpelt, and her student. She dismounted Cheveyo, and helped Lily off his back.

"Cheveyo, go rest. We will be here for long time." Shadowpelt gently urged him to leave, and have some time to himself. Cheveyo snorted, and walked away, leaving the Lily, and the were-cat alone, so Lily could focus on her lessons.

"Rider needs to learn how to fight. To fight means to defend." Shadowpelt pulled a dagger out of her bag. "I made this for you. Keep it for emergencies." Shadowpelt gave Lily the dagger, who graciously accepted the gift. Shadowpelt took her stance. This was simply a test to see how much Lily knew about hand-to-hand combat. Shadowpelt would have a better idea as to where to start if she knew what her student needed to know, or improve on.

"Now come, and fight me. No weapons, just our fists, Rider." Shadowpelt had fought plenty of times before, and knew what to expect. Lily threw the first punch, only to have Shadowpelt quickly block the attempted blow. Shadowpelt retaliated with a series of quick punches to Lily's vitals, but was careful not to actually hit her.

"Rider needs to be faster if Rider wants to live. Watch me." Shadowpelt adjusted her stance. "Strong stance means strong enemy. Be careful with enemies this strong, Rider. Relax, and you will faster, and more fluid." Shadowpelt relaxed, and unsheathed her dagger. She thrust her dagger into an imaginary enemy, spun around, and slashed at an imaginary enemy's throat within the blink of an eye. She knew a human was nowhere near as quick, and agile as her kind, but with a little bit of pracitce, Lily would be able to almost match her speed.

"Like so, now come at me again, no weapons, just like last time." Shadowpelt sheathed her dagger, and took her stance once more. Lily found it to be difficult to relax, but slowly relaxed with a little bit of focus. She needed to be alert, but relaxed enough to move quickly. She didn't hold back, and gave Shadowpelt all she had. Shadowpelt blocked almost every blow, as was expected, but it was definitely an improvement.

Shadowpelt decided to change tactics. Clearly, hand-to-hand combat wasn't Lily's forte, but she could be better at swordplay. She walked over to a nearby tree, where Cheveyo was resting under, and broke two dead branches from the tree. It was best to get rid of the dead limbs anyway. It prevented any parasites from entering the tree, and killing the rest of it. She returned to her.

"Here, take this stick, and use it like sword." Shadowpelt handed a branch to Lily, and then took her stance once more. "Now, fight me."

Lily was much faster. It was clear she found it easier to fight with a blade rather than her fists. It was probably better off she fought this way than hand-to-hand combat. It was a bit too close for comfort. Lily blocked almost all of Shadowpelt's strikes. That was perfect. She was equally defensive as she was offensive, just where she needed to be.

"Stay light on your feet, Rider. Rider must be able to move quickly if they want to fight another day." Shadowpelt quickly sprung to the side, and delivered what would have been a lethal blow if they were in actual combat, only to have Lily block it. Lily retaliated with a quick blow to the neck, but was careful not to hit her master.

"Excellent! Rider learns quickly!" Shadowpelt smiled. They continued to practice for hours, until the both of them became exhausted, and could fight no more. Shadowpelt stopped, panting. She hadn't had this kind of workout in years. That was good. Lily had endurance, something that was required for battle.

"Now, I must teach you how to strengthen bond with Lady. Cheveyo, come!" Shadowpelt wiped the sweat from her brow. Cheveyo ran up to them, and Shadowpelt helped Lily onto his back once more. Shadowpelt mounted her horse, and headed off to a place where she could be near the camp, yet far enough to be free of distractions.

Outside the forest, Lady was back to normal, and was basking in the sun. The sun's warm rays felt like hot coals against her metal hide. Today was perfect. She froze when she caught the scent of human, and weapon oil as she heard the sound of hooves pounding on the hard ground. She growled softly. It was another knight seeking vengeance against her for destroying so many kingdoms, and slaughtering innocent people.

Sure enough, the human raced around the bend. His horse carried him as if he were a child's doll. The human lowered his lance to attack, and Lady charged into his attack with a ground-shaking roar. His lance shattered against her metal hide as she threw him off his horse, and tore his armor to pieces. The battle was over before it even began. The human fled in terror, and Lady gave chase. Whatever was left of his armor weighed him down, and made it much easier to catch him. Lady snatched the foolish knight in her jaws, and swallowed him whole in a single gulp. The knight's armor would probably give her indigestion later on, but she didn't care. The knight was simply another meal to her.

Lady turned her attention, on the knight's frightened horse, and followed it's scent. She slaughtered the poor creature on the spot, and devoured it. She knew the knight probably had a squire, a young knight in training, with him. The poor fool was probably hiding in the shadows somewhere. That wasn't a problem for her. She sniffed the air, and caught the scent of not just one, but multiple humans. The knight probably had a few messengers in his company as well. She smiled a wolfish grin. She was going to feast today. She began to follow the scent trail, eager to have what was probably the best meal she would have in weeks.

Sure enough, she found the messengers, and the squire waiting for the knight to return. Oh, if only they knew what Lady had in store for them. The glint of gold caught her eye. One of them was wearing a valuable necklace, and she hungered for it. She wanted it. Now. She emerged from the shadows, and smiled. Their shrieks were a delight to hear.

"Don't eat me! Eat George! He has more meat on 'im!" one of the messengers shoved the squire forward. The poor boy was holding a dagger, and shaking. He was going to attack her with an ornament. How cute.

Indeed, the squire was much more plump than the others, but the messenger with the necklace was her main priority over all of them. They were all sitting ducks, cowering before her. They were at her mercy. She lunged for the messenger wearing the necklace, and snatched him up her jaws, before crushing him with her powerful jaws. The humans fled for their lives. Lady took the necklace, and devoured the messenger before pursuing the remaining humans.

Her sharp senses made finding them a breeze. One by one, she tracked them down, and feasted on the helpless humans. The crest they were wearing told her they were from the Duke. Looks like she would have to pay him a _visit_ sometime. When she was sure she had tracked down, and devoured them all, she returned to her original spot, and resumed sunning herself, as if nothing had ever happened.

 **A/N: So now we know Lady is also a bit of a fat kid at heart, and she eats more humans than she would like to admit. The next chapter for both Trust, and this story are in the works. Until next time, as always, see ya later!**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:Finally, another chapter! Also to Guest, I considered something like that; I thought about a little AU where the engines were Fantanzian dragons, helping anyone they can. Let me know if you think I should give it a try. Anyway, on with the story!**

Shadowpelt, and Lily sat on the pair of tree stumps. Shadowpelt crossed her legs, and Lily did the same.

"Best way to learn how to strengthen bond with Lady is to meditate." Shadowpelt situated herself, and relaxed. She had done this many times before to keep the bond she shared with Whiff strong, and sometimes even to reach out to Cheveyo. Hopefully, Cheveyo wouldn't mind it if she allowed Lily to reach out to him. He was much easier to reach than an engine. He was more open to the world.

"Meditate?" Lily raised an eyebrow at her. She must not have expected to be using this particular method of relaxation to make the bond she shared with Lady stronger than ever before. Shadowpelt nodded.

"Open your mind, and reach out to all those who are around you. You may not have the skill to do this yet. Reach out to Cheveyo, and relax. Let your mind enter his, and he will enter yours. You will both become one for as long as you stay connected with him." Shadowpelt closed her eyes, and reached out Cheveyo. Cheveyo perked up when he felt Shadowpelt's familiar presence.

 _Cheveyo, I wish to teach my student how to become one with one another. May she reach out to you for this lesson?_ Shadowpelt asked him. She felt Cheveyo pondering it for a few seconds before feeling a sense of approval from him. He had agreed to allow her to follow through with this lesson. She withdrew, and opened her eyes.

"Cheveyo is ready. Reach out to him, Rider. Close your eyes, and relax. Reach out to him, and not just touch his conscience like how Rider does with Lady, enter his mind, and you will see what it means to become one with another presence." Shadowpelt closed her eyes once more, and reached out to all beings around her. It would be overwhelming for her student, but she would get used to it as time passes.

Lily closed her eyes, and relaxed. She reached out to Shadowpelt's horse, and gently touched his mind. Cheveyo flinched a little at first, taken off guard by the sudden contact, but then returned the gentle touch. Cheveyo allowed her to gently slip past his mental barriers, and enter his mind. She felt a rush of emotions, and new sensations. It was too much for her to take in so quickly. Overwhelmed, she quickly withdrew, and opened her eyes. Shadowpelt seemed to notice, and opened her eyes.

"I know it is a lot to take in. You see what they see. You feel what they feel. You smell what they smell. Your minds combine into one. Here, I will ask Lady to show you." Shadowpelt reached out to Lady.

 _I need you to teach your Rider how to become one with you. It is necessary if she is to strengthen her bond with you._ Shadowpelt sensed that Lady was quite agitated with having her relaxation time being interrupted. However, it quickly faded once she explained to Lady why Lily needed to know this. The stronger the bond Lady shared with Lily, the farther they can reach each other, and Lily would find it to be much easier to reach out to her.

 _Very well, cat._ Lady withdrew, and reached out to Lily, her precious Rider.

 _I will show you, Lily. Relax, and let me combine your mind with mine. It won't hurt, nor will it take long._ Lady grasped Lily's spiritual being, and began to pull Lily's very essence from her mortal body. Lily panicked, and tried to pull away from her, but Lady's grip was fast.

 _It's okay, little one. I won't let anything bad happen to you. Trust me, Lily._ Lady gently reassured her Rider. Lily reluctantly relaxed, and let Lady pull her into her mind.

Lily gasped. Her vision turned to Lady's own vision. Lady looked around. The island was much more beautiful through Lady's eyes. Lady's sharp eyesight sliced through the mist with ease, and the brightly colored fauna was even more vibrant through Lady's vision. Lily could hear even the slightest of sounds, even the soft scratching of a mouse searching for food. Lily could smell the beautiful flowers, and many other strange scents she had been unable to detect before. Lady looked over to Patch, and Lily felt Lady smile. Patch smiled in return.

"Hey, Lady." Patch climbed onto Lady's buffer plate. Lily felt something crawl onto her shoulder. It was what Lady felt when Patch climbed onto her.

"Hello, Patch. Is something wrong?" Lady asked him. Lily could sense a hint of worry from Lady. Lady was simply making sure both Patch, and Lily were safe, well-fed, and happy. Patch shook his head.

"No, I'm just bored." Patch sat down, and leaned back against Lady's smoke box. Lily felt something small resting on the side of her neck. This must be what Lady felt when either Patch, or Lily rested against her.

"You know, I've been wondering... How did Mister Stone find you?" Patch looked back at Lady. Lily felt that Lady was rather hesitant to answer his question, but she decided there was no harm in answering it.

"Burnett purchased me from the shape shifter that smuggled me out of the laboratory I was create in as a gift for Tasha. Tasha took to me the moment she saw me in his arms." Lady chuckled softly. Lily could feel a hint of sorrow from Lady. Lady still missed Tasha dearly. Lily couldn't blame her. Tasha was near, and dear to her heart. Tasha needed to finally be put to rest. They _have_ to bring peace back to the island, or Tasha would never fully be at peace.

Lily picked up a soft sound. She didn't know what it was at first, and then realized it was Patch's heartbeat. Lady had much sharper senses than she had previously thought. If Lady was able to detect a human's heartbeat, she would be able to track down almost anything, maybe even other engines.

"If your part dragon, does that mean you would lay eggs rather than give birth, Lady?" Patch had the same exact question Lily had. The engines were mammals, but Lady shared DNA with a reptile. Would that mean she would simply lay a clutch of eggs rather than giving live birth? Lily always wanted Lady to have a litter of kits. Of course, that was entirely up to Lady. Lady would know when the time was right.

"To be honest, Patch, I don't know. I guess we'll have to find out when the time is right." Lady replied. Lady's stomach rumbled, and Lily felt a slight pain in her abdomen. Lady grimaced a little. She must have eaten something she shouldn't have.

"Are you okay, Lady?" Patch looked over at her. Lily felt a bit of hesitation from Lady. She must not want to answer this question while Lily was connected with her like this. Lily frowned. Lady was stubborn as a mule when it came to answering questions. She would only answer the questions that would tell them only what they _needed_ to know, and nothing more.

"Tell me anyway." Lily murmured. Lady sighed. It was as if she had heard Lily, or she just decided to get it over with. Either one, Lily needed Lady to answer this.

"The knight that attacked me earlier is having his revenge on me. They never do settle well." Lady seemed to be hiding a few details, as usual. Surprisingly, Lily didn't feel sick. Lady had a good reason to kill the knight. The knight attacked her first. Lady was merely defending herself.

"How many people have tried to kill you?" Patch raised an eyebrow at the engine. Lady thought for a moment. She was counting the attacks, at least the ones she remembered.

"I stopped counting after one hundred. They are persistent, but have no idea as to what I'm capable of." Lady smiled. Lily was taken aback by the sheer number of attempts to at least wound Lady. Of course, each one failed. No surprise there. A mere human was no match for an engine of her power.

"Dang! That's a lot! Do you ever get tired of it? I mean, does it get boring to you?" Patch asked her. Lady chuckled softly, and released Lily, letting her conscience return to her own mind. She didn't want Lily to hear this. Patch was much more accepting of the fact that Lady was a powerful predator than her own Rider.

"Surprisingly, no. They give me some entertainment, and I get the chance to play with my food a little." Lady's smile turned into an unsettling wolfish grin. She had shown Patch just a peek of her true self.

Patch shuddered at the sight. The fact that Lady was a man-eater was disturbing, but it was in her nature, just like a lion, or tiger. She was a predator, and he had to accept that, unlike Lily, who would turn pale at the mention of Lady's bloodthirsty nature. To be honest, Patch thought it was incredible to be so close to such a powerful creature. He leaned back against her smoke box once more. He could feel Lady's powerful cords of muscle flex with every breath she took, a reassurance that he, and Lily were safe as long as they stayed close to her.

...

Burnett crawled out of the tunnel, and looked around. He had finally arrived on Misty Island. He stood up, and blindly felt around. He couldn't see anything in this dense fog. He found a set of rails, and used them as a guide. Hopefully, the Logging Locos had seen Lady, and Lily, and would tell him where they were hiding. This was the prefect place for Lady to hide. The Logging Locos's attack on the town here made everyone steer clear of this place. Even the diesels wouldn't dare enter the Logging Locos's territory. Hopefully, Lady had kept Lily safe all this time. He roamed the island, almost bumped into Whiff, who was sound asleep.

Burnett knew it wasn't a good idea to wake him, but there was a chance he may have seen Lady, and Lily. He swallowed nervously, and gathered all of the courage he could muster. He gently patted Whiff's buffer plate, and Whiff stirred. Whiff growled softly, and opened his eyes, obviously not too happy with being disturbed. Whiff yawned, revealing his wickedly sharp fangs. Whiff could easily kill Burnett if he wasn't careful. Whiff looked down at the human before him, and frowned.

"What do you want?" Whiff growled deep in his chest. It shook the ground beneath Burnett's feet. Burnett shifted nervously. Whiff clearly wasn't in a good mood today.

"Have you seen Lady? She has Lily with her." Burnett tried not to act too nervous. Whiff's predatory instincts could be activated if he wasn't careful. Whiff's scowl faded, and his gaze softened.

"Yes, I have, but I won't tell you who they are with." Whiff replied. Burnett sighed. Whiff was almost as stubborn as Lady it seemed. However, he couldn't blame Whiff. He would be the same way.

"Who are they with? Whiff, please tell me." Burnett tried to not escalate the situation by getting frustrated with Whiff. Whiff's scowl returned. He clearly wasn't in the mood to talk.

"If I told you, the other steamies would see me as a traitor." Whiff growled, black smoke billowed from his nose. He was becoming more and more irritated by the minute.

"What do you mean, Whiff?" Burnett narrowed his eyes. Now he was suspicious of the steam engine. What was Whiff hiding from the others?

"None of your business!" Whiff snapped. Burnett flinched, but didn't back down. He knew how to handle a stubborn engine, thanks to handling Lady for decades. She was far more stubborn than Whiff ever will be.

"Whiff! Do you not realize how much danger Lily is in?! What if a diesel finds her, then what?!" Burnett seemed to strike a nerve in the engine. Whiff's expression softened again. He must have realized he was doing more harm than good.

"She is with my Rider. I'll take you to her." Whiff replied. Burnett nodded. That was more like it. He climbed into Whiff's cab, and Whiff set out for his Rider's camp. Burnett couldn't see anything, but a steamie would have no problem navigating through the thick fog. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Lady, but Lily wasn't with her. Patch was in her company. She took both Lily, _and_ Patch to Sodor. Whiff slowed to a stop, and Burnett stormed out of Whiff's cab, furious at Lady for letting Lily, and Patch come here without his permission, let alone by themselves.

"Lady! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!" Burnett exclaimed between gritted teeth. Lady looked at him in surprise. She must not have expected him to find her.

"It was not my idea, Burnett. I was merely obeying Lily's commands, and keeping them safe, but it seems you do not appreciate it." Lady growled deep in her throat. Burnett's anger faltered a bit. His fear was quickly pushed to the back of his mind, not too clever of him.

"Lily! Where is she?!" Burnett looked around, and his anger turned to panic. Lily was nowhere to be seen. Hopefully, she was somewhere safe.

"She's training with Shadowpelt. Lady wants to make sure Lily knows everything she needs to know before returning to Sodor." Patch replied. Burnett was a little relieved that Lily was safe, but who was Shadowpelt? Lily was training with a complete stranger.

"Who's Shadowpelt?" Burnett looked at Lady, hoping for an answer. Whiff bit his lip. He must know something about this _Shadowpelt_.

"She's my Rider. Patch, take him to her, so he can meet her. I'd rather not say what she is. The other steamies would surely see me as a traitor if they find out about her." Whiff knew Burnett probably wouldn't be too fond of it, but it would be best if they stayed on Misty Island for now, at least until the diesel activity died down a little. Patch nodded, and climbed down from Lady's buffer plate. Lady watched the two humans like a hawk as they ventured into the forest. This was going to be interesting.

Patch led Burnett to Shadowpelt's camp, but neither Lily, or Shadowpelt were nowhere to be seen. Patch looked around a little bit, and found Shadowpelt, and Lily sitting on tree stumps with their legs crossed, and their eyes closed. Burnett stopped dead in his tracks. Now he understood why Whiff wanted to keep his Rider a secret. Out of all the races in the world, he chose a were-cat for a Rider. The were-cat opened her beautiful emerald eyes, and smiled gently.

"Patch, welcome." the were-cat's voice was smooth as silk. The legends were true after all. Lily opened her eyes, and froze when she saw Burnett.

"Grandpa! What are you doing here?!" Lily was completely taken off guard by Burnett finally finally finding them. No doubt he was furious at her for disobeying him, and knowing the dangers she faced.

"Lily Stone... Do you realize what could have happened if the diesels found out about you?" Burnett struggled to keep his anger in check. The were-cat bit her lip. She must not have known about this.

"Lady kept us safe." Lily frowned. She was standing her ground, just like how Tasha did whenever they got into an argument.

"I don't care! You're coming home with me, and that's final!" Burnett was just about to drag her back to Lady, when they all heard a ground-shaking roar. Lady stormed through the trees in the form of a dragon, and glared down at her owner, her eyes burning with unbridled fury. Lady snapped her jaws at Burnett, and barely missed him. Burnett yelped, and jumped back. He had never seen Lady act in such a manner.

"Lady, what is wrong with you?!" Burnett exclaimed. His anger quickly turned to fear, as Lady inched forward, and growled at him. Her fangs were mere inches from his face.

"I won't let you take her home!" Lady snarled. Thick black smoke billowed from her nostrils, and Burnett could see a warm glow at the back of Lady's throat. She was more than happy to kill him if he dared to try to take her Rider back home.

"How did you know?" Burnett knew Lady had sharp senses, but not that sharp. They were quite a ways from the rails when this happened. Lady growled, and Burnett took a step back. He knew Lady was not one to play with. Lady was dangerous, and he accepted the risk when he bought her when she was just a kit. Now she has turned against him, ready to burn him to a crisp if need be.

"Lily contacted me. Now hand her over, or I swear, I'll kill you myself!" Lady snarled. Burnett quickly backed off. Lady never took her eyes off of him.

"Good... know your place, Burnett." Lady hissed. She relaxed a little, but not completely. She wanted to be ready just in case Burnett tried anything funny. Shadowpelt looked into Burnett's eyes, and read him. Burnett felt as if she was staring into his very soul.

"Rider's grandfather troubled. What eating you?" Shadowpelt cocked her head to the side slightly. Burnett sighed. There was no use in hiding it. The were-cat already knew something was wrong.

"Why, Lily? Why did you run away?" Burnett asked Lily. Might as well question her since his own engine wouldn't hesitate to kill him if he tried to take his granddaughter home.

"Tasha needs closure. We want to make peace with the diesels. Tasha needs to finally be put to rest." Lily replied. Burnett knew the fact that Tasha was killed by a diesel struck the child hard, but he couldn't risk losing her too. It would be too much for him to bear.

"I can't help, but support cause. Whiff worried about me. Whiff wants peace, so does Lily." Shadowpelt's beautiful emerald eyes glowed with compassion. She had a calming influence on everyone. She was reassuring everything was going to be just fine. Besides, Lily could not have a better mentor. Were-cats were known for their wisdom, patience, divine craftsmanship, and vast knowledge of the arcane. Lily would have to learn magic if she is to understand the magic of Sodor.

"I can't believe Whiff chose a were-cat. Out of all the people on Sodor, he chose a were-cat." Burnett still couldn't believe Whiff had chosen a were-cat for a Rider. It wasn't natural. However, Whiff chose her for a reason. Shadowpelt looked at him as if she was offended by his comment. Her grey ears folded back against her skull, and her tail twitched.

"What do you have against my kind?" Shadowpelt glared at him. Burnett realized he had offended one of the most powerful races on Fantanzia. She could cast a simple spell to kill him if she wanted to. However, Shadowpelt was not the type for violence.

"Oh nothing! I-I didn't mean it that way. It's just that steamies normally don't get along well with were-cats." Burnett stammered. Shadowpelt seemed to understand, thankfully.

"Ah." Shadowpelt nodded. "Whiff takes care of me. Whiff different."

"I can see that." Burnett muttered. Shadowpelt rolled her eyes. She knew he would warm up to it eventually. He would have to know at least a little bit about her kind, being Lady's owner demanded him to be knowledgeable about all the different creatures of magic.

"So... what do we do now?" Patch looked at everyone. Burnett wasn't sure what to do next. Lady refused to allow him to take her Rider home, and probably wouldn't allow him to leave the island.

"Too dangerous to return to Sodor. Might be best to stay here for little bit. Long enough for Lily to finish training." Shadowpelt stood up, and called for her horse. Cheveyo trotted up to her, and came to a stop before them. He pawed at the ground with his hoof, and snorted. He was at ease around Lady now that he knew she was harmless, to him at least. She helped Lily onto Cheveyo's back, and Patch climbed onto his back after Lily had situated herself on the blanket on the horse's back. Lady took the form of a wolf once more, and she and Shadowpelt led the humans, and Cheveyo back to Shadowpelt's camp.


	26. Chapter 26

Shadowpelt, Cheveyo, Patch, Lily, Burnett, and Lady reached the camp. Shadowpelt gently urged Cheveyo to stop, and helped the two human children off his back. She allowed Cheveyo to rest beneath the trees as they settled into her camp.

"So what exactly have you been teaching Lily, Shadowpelt?" Burnett wanted to make sure Shadowpelt was teaching Lily all she needed to know about being a Rider. If Shadowpelt teaches her all that she would ever need to know, and more, Lily had a greater chance of surviving on her own. Of course, Lady would take care of her, but Lady can't be with her all the time. Were-cats had vast knowledge of the arcane, so teaching Lily should be a breeze for Shadowpelt. For were-cats, using magic was as natural as breathing. They were born with this gift, but needed to learn how to use it properly. Shadowpelt would have decades of experience under her belt, making her the best mentor when it came to this, other than Lady.

"I taught Rider combat skills, and how to become one with other beings. Lady helped me with the lessons. Rider learns quickly, and has great potential for being good Rider." Shadowpelt replied. Burnett was impressed with what Shadowpelt had taught Lily so far. She made sure her lessons got to the point. She didn't mess around that was for sure. Suddenly, Shadowpelt stood up, and listened.

Lady perked up a little, and sniffed the air to see if they were in any danger. Lady must have recognized the scent because she quickly relaxed. Shadowpelt unsheathed her bow. She was on high alert.

"What's wrong?" Patch grew nervous. Shadowpelt didn't reply, and readied an arrow. She pulled the cable on her bow back, and prepared to take the shot. Much to the humans' surprise, Junior, and Mr. Conductor tumbled out from the underbrush. Lady quickly reached out to Shadowpelt.

 _Hold your fire. They are friends._ Lady gently reassured Shadowpelt that the two were completely harmless. Shadowpelt lowered her bow, and put her arrow back in its quiver. Mr. Conductor slowly stood up, groaned, and rubbed his head. He must have fallen. Junior looked up at Shadowpelt, shot up, and grabbed his cousin by the arm.

"See! See! I told you there was a were-cat on Misty Island, cuz!" Junior looked like a little kid who had just seen Santa Clause. Mr. Conductor froze, and quickly removed his hat to show her respect.

"I-I'm terribly sorry ma'am. I-I just thought Junior had a little too much of Brenda's moonshine, but... apparently I was wrong." Mr. Conductor was a nervous wreck. Well, he was standing before one of the most powerful races on Fantanzia. However, were-cats were never for boasting. They would rather allow their actions to speak for themselves.

Shadowpelt smiled. "It is okay. Lady told me you are friends. Come! Come! Make yourselves comfortable!" she gestured for them to join her. Junior, and Mr. Conductor looked at each other. Did she really just offer them to stay? They didn't need to be told twice, and quickly sat down at either side of her.

"Where is Lady anyway?" Mr. Conductor looked around. Shadowpelt gestured to the wolf laying beside him.

"Uh..." Mr. Conductor scooted back a little at the sight of the purple, and golden wolf. The wolf bared it's teeth to smile a wolfish grin. He shuddered at the sight.

"It's okay. That's Lady." Lily looked down at the wolf, who was looking up at Mr. Conductor. Junior scooted closer the wolf, who was surprisingly the lost engine they thought they knew.

"How can this be the lost engine?" Junior got down on his knees, and noticed the golden writing on the wolf's flank. It was indeed Lady. Lady sniffed at him, and wagged her tail.

"There is something I've meaning to tell you boys." Burnett looked at the two, what he presumed to be, humans. The pair leaned forward a bit, eager to hear just how Lady was able to pull this off. They have never seen an engine that was capable of shape shifting.

"As you can see, Lady is no ordinary engine. She was created in a laboratory, where they created her with the DNA of several different creatures. You name it, she can transform into it." Burnett leaned back against a tree. He could finally rest after spending days to find Lady, and Lily. This was a lot for the two magical beings to take in. A moment of silence followed. They were piecing everything together, and taking in what Burnett had just told them.

"Wow... I just never..." Mr. Conductor shook his head, and chuckled. "She could have been hiding right under our noses, and we wouldn't even notice her."

"No kiddin'. Then why didn't Lady just transform into something when Diesel 10 tried to kill her?" Junior raised an eyebrow at him. To be honest, Burnett didn't know either. Lady had her reasons, but she never told him why she didn't transform into another creature to fight, or to escape from Diesel 10 in the first place.

"I'm not sure. She never told me why she didn't do that, but I think she may have used up all her energy to restore the Magic Railroad." Burnett shrugged. It was a shot in the dark, but it was a plausible theory. He thought she wouldn't have much energy stored for her magic after not feeding for years. The night after he made sure she had plenty enough to eat to get her strength back. He still found it hard to believe how such a small engine could eat so much.

"That explains a lot." Mr. Conductor froze when Lady sat down in front of him, and looked up at him expectantly, as if she wanted something. He looked at Burnett for answers. Burnett smiled. It must not have been anything too bad.

"She wants you to pet her. If I were you, I'd do it. This might be the closest thing you can get to petting a live wolf." Burnett chuckled as Lady nudged Mr. Conductor's hand with her snout. She was asking for attention. Mr. Conductor reluctantly held his hand out to her. Lady took in his scent for a couple seconds, and licked his hand. She had given him permission to touch her. He began to scratch behind her ears. Lady wagged her tail as a response. She was enjoying the attention. Mr. Conductor smiled, and began to pet her. Lady leaned against his leg, soaking up his undivided attention.

"It's going to be interesting when it gets to her feeding time. I don't have any food on me." Burnett chuckled softly as he watched Lady soak up the attention she was receiving. Tasha had spoiled her from the very beginning.

"That shouldn't be problem. Lady can hunt for herself. We saw her bring back rabbit last night." Shadowpelt smiled. Burnett looked at her in surprise. Usually, he had to make sure to feed her regularly. Perhaps a steamie's instincts are innate.

"Really?" Burnett asked her. Shadowpelt nodded as a reply. That explained a bit. He hadn't had to put out any mouse traps out in Lady's shed since she had reawakened. Lady was eating them as snacks between meals.

"So _that's_ why I haven't had any mouse problems since Lady reawakened." Burnett smiled. Turns out he didn't know much about Lady as he thought he did.

"Mmm. Mouse meat." Junior joshed. Lily playfully slapped him on the shoulder.

"Ew! Gross!" Lily was disgusted by Junior's little joke. Junior rolled his eyes.

"What?" I was just joking!" Junior chuckled. Lady laid down on her back, exposing her belly to them.

"D'aw! Look at that, cuz! She wants her belly rubbed!" Junior knelt down, and gave Lady a belly rub. "Who's a pretty engine? You are! Yes you are!" Junior small talked to Lady, who seemed to enjoy the attention she was receiving.

"Oh brother." Burnett rolled his eyes. Tasha would constantly spoil Lady, just like how Junior was doing right now. Tasha was long gone, but her memory lived on forever. Lily shook her head, and reached out to Lady.

 _You have no shame do you?_ Lily smiled. Lady bared her teeth to smile.

 _Nope._ Lady wagged her tail. Lily rolled her eyes. She could only imagine how spoiled she was when she was a kit.

 _You're spoiled rotten._ Lily scoffed. Lady shifted a little.

 _No, I'm not... Okay maybe I'm a little spoiled._ Lady chuckled. Lily shook her head. Lady was probably spoiled from the very beginning.

 _To say the least._ Lily rolled her eyes.

 **A/N: So now we see how spoiled Lady is. She was spoiled the moment Burnett took her home when she was a kit. Tasha was the one who spoiled her the most, or so Burnett claims. The next chapter is already in the works. Until we meet again, see ya later!**


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: **Woo-hoo! Another chapter! I will also foreshadow a future story in this chapter. Be sure to keep an eye out for it. Anyway, on with the story!**

That evening, Shadowpelt left the camp to forage for food for her, and her guests. She gathered as many fruits and berries as her makeshift bag, made of animal hide, could carry. She would need more than mere fruits, and berries to feed them all. She climbed up a tree, settled on a branch that was thick enough to support her weight, unsheathed her bow, and readied an arrow. She patiently waited for an animal come by so she could have a chance to take the shot.

A plump buck rushed past, and Shadowpelt pulled the cable back, and fired. She cursed as the arrow hit the deer in it's haunch. She dropped down from her perch, and followed the droplets of blood, only to loose the trail. She growled softly. She had lost both the deer, and a valuable arrow. She would have to make another arrow to replace the one she lost. She would have to make do with what she had gathered. She called for Cheveyo, climbed onto his back when he approached her, and rode him back to camp.

Junior perked up a little when Shadowpelt, and Cheveyo returned. He noticed Shadowpelt looked rather irritated. Something was bothering her.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Junior asked her. Cheveyo came to a stop, and Shadowpelt climbed off his back. Cheveyo snorted, and returned to his favorite spot under a tree, where he resumed grazing as usual.

"Lost an arrow, _and_ a deer, but I gathered as much as I could." Shadowpelt sat down, and passed out the fruits, and berries she had gathered for them. She noticed Lady was missing. Lady must had grown impatient of waiting for her to return, and went hunting for herself. A rustle in the underbrush caught her attention. She looked over her shoulder, and was surprised to see Lady dragging the buck she had lost towards them. Once Lady was close enough, she dropped the deer before them, and smiled.

"I heard you were missing an arrow?" Lady had provided for her Rider for this long, and this was no different. Shadowpelt seemed to be taken aback by this. She was probably used to fending for herself, and providing for others. Shadowpelt seemed to welcome this change.

"Where did you find it? I lost blood trail." Shadowpelt raised an eyebrow at Lady. Lady sat down, and wagged her tail. Her sharp senses even rivaled a were-cat's. That was something to be proud of.

"I followed the smell. The scent of blood is very distinct. Now come on, I'm starving!" Lady licked her chops. Shadowpelt chuckled softly, and transformed. Her skin gave way to light grey fur with dark grey patches as her hands became similar to paws. Her muscles burned as she grew in size, and her nose and mouth formed a snout. The transformation quickened, ad then slowed to a stop. She was now a powerful beast.

Shadowpelt slung the deer over her shoulder, as if it was a sack, and carried it away, so that the humans wouldn't see her clean the deer, and ruin thier appetite. She wedged the deer's head between two tree branches before recovering her arrow, and cleaning the deer's corpse. The humans were eating the fruits, and berries she had brought them. Lady however, crinkled her nose at them. No surprise there. Steamies are carnivores by nature.

Once Shadowpelt had cleaned the deer, she carried it back to camp, and transformed back to normal. She used her dagger to cut strips of meat from the carcass, and placed them on the hot stones next to the fire. Lady simply couldn't wait, and started to devour the carcass, much to the dismay of the of Junior, and Mr. Conductor. Burnett chuckled when he saw their faces turn pale at the sight.

"I thought you two would be used to seeing a steamie feed since you work with them on a regular basis." Burnett had a good point. They had been working with the steamies on Sodor for years, and they still grew queasy when they saw a steamie feed. That should be something the should have gotten used to after being with the steamies for so long.

"They've never eaten in front of people, at least not until now." Mr. Conductor held back a gag. Burnett rolled his eyes. They would have to get used to that if they wish to spend more time with Lady.

"You two need to get used to it. Steamies are predators, and you have to accept that." Burnett had raised Lady since she was a kit. He had became accustomed to it from feeding her live mice he had brought for her from the pet store. However, as she grew, mice quickly were not enough to satiate her appetite. He had to feed her anything he could get, mostly parts of animals that the local slaughterhouse couldn't use. That seemed to have done the trick until she was able to hunt on her own.

"Diesels not like steamies. Diesels don't eat other creatures." Shadowpelt looked at Lily. She must have known Lily was not particularly fond of the subject of Lady's taste for blood. Lily seemed a little more at ease.

"Really? Then why did Diesel 10 want to kill Lady?" Lily asked her. Now that was one question she could not answer. Diesel 10 had his own reasons to go after Lady. No one really truly knew why he wanted to destroy Lady. Something must have happened in the past that gave him a bitter animosity towards her.

"I don't know. He may want revenge for something from years past." Shadowpelt shrugged. Everyone agreed. Both of the engines were mysterious. Very little was known about them, except they had a strong hatred for each other for who knows what.

"I guess that makes sense." Lily looked at Lady, who had eaten her fill and sat down beside her. Lady looked up at her, and wagged her tail. How could such a sweet, and gentle engine be so bloodthirsty?

"Diesels are gentle with people. Well, most diesels are gentle. Diesel 10 is different story. Not all steamies are blood thirsty. Henry gentle with people too. He doesn't eat other creatures." Shadowpelt had met Henry once before, and she was surprised to find out he was in fact a vegetarian. It made about as much sense as a fire-breathing dragon kidnapping a princess to protect her. It would only attract knights, and scare the princess half to death. However, once the princess realizes the dragon's intentions, she will feel much safer.

"That doesn't surprise me. Henry does like animals, and loves to spend time in his forest." Lily smiled. At least not all steamies were bloodthirsty monsters. Perhaps she could meet Henry sometime. Shadowpelt seemed to know him at least a little bit.

"Lady is gentle too. You just have to let her get to know you first." Burnett smiled as Lady laid down beside him. "Hey there, girl." he scratched behind Lady's ears. Lady wagged her tail as a response.

"When Lady was a kit, she would follow me everywhere like a dog." Burnett chuckled. Lady was mischievous as a kit, but never caused too much trouble. She would usually ambush him whenever he walked through the door, and even went as far as dive bombing him when she learned how to shape shift.

"Aw! That's so cute!" Junior smiled. He had never seen a steamie kit before, but his cousin had helped take care of them in the past. He wanted to do the same. He wanted to help take care of the kits just as how his cousin does.

"I was lucky she never caused much trouble, unlike from what I heard from Thomas's Rider." Burnett snickered. It was interesting how the two tank engines were complete opposites, yet they were in love with each other. He didn't know what they saw in each other, but there seemed to be a bit a spark between the two of them.

"Hearing you talk about Lady as a kit makes me wish Lady would have kits." Lily always wanted Lady to have a litter of kits. She would love to see the kits race around, and hold them, but that was up to Lady. As long as they are raised correctly, they should be relatively harmless. The Logging Locos however, were a different story. She shuddered. How could they act like nothing happened after what they had done? It was a sickening thought, but Lady had left that life behind... for the time being.

"Something eating you, Lily. What is it?" Shadowpelt must have read her again. At least she was concerned about the well-being of her student. Lily was silent for a few moments, and then sighed.

"It's just... My mind keeps going back to the Logging Locos. They're _murderers_. They killed innocent people." Lily gazed into the fire. The breeze picked up a little, and she swore she could hear people screaming, and smell the copper scent of blood. It was her mind messing with her. Shadowpelt was silent for a few moments, and then finally spoke up.

"I feel your pain, and confusion, Lily. Steamies are predators, and people forget that sometimes. People think they can control steamies, but engines, like dragons, cannot be tamed. Steamies not always like dragons. They know who is bad, and who is good. They attack if someone hurt them, or they give in to their blood lust, like Logging Locos. Henry knows not all people are bad. That is why he saw error in his ways. Maybe once your training is done, or if he visits, you may speak to him. That is all I can tell you, Dova." Shadowpelt did her best to explain this to Lily. It wasn't an easy subject, but she could at least explain why steamies are they way they are.

"Take a look at Lady. She's gentle with you, Lily. She cared about you the moment you met her." Patch tried to make Lily feel at least a little better. It seemed to work because Lily smiled a little. He had a point. Lady was more protective than she was destructive... sometimes.

"That's true." Lily shrugged. Mr. Conductor knew Lily would have play a much bigger role if Lady is to ever lose control of herself again. Lily was the only one standing between Lady's blood lust, and thousands of innocent people.

"That, and you are bonded more to Lady than she is to Burnett ever will be, Lily. You are the only one who can truly control her. She doesn't always listen to Burnett, but she will listen to you. You are her Rider, Lily. That's what the Riders were made for. They protect the people, and keep a steamie's blood lust in check." Mr. Conductor had a vast knowledge of the history of the Riders. He was there when they were first created. He saw the potential the Riders posed, and they never failed to protect the island. Burnett wouldn't be able to control Lady if she snaps again, but Lily would be able to calm her down. It was one of the many duties of a Rider.

"He's right, Lily. You have more power than I do. Lady will listen to you if she snaps. She may be a little stubborn, but she wants what is best for her Rider, which is _you_ , Lily. That is why she chose you. She knew you will keep her under control." Burnett looked down at Lily. They were right. If, no, _when_ Lady snaps again, Lily would be the only one that would be able to control her. Shadowpelt sat up straight.

"We should sleep. Lily, and I have to continue training tomorrow." Shadowpelt stood up. Everyone agreed, and retreated into their shelters, or under a tree. Lily laid down on the bed of moss on the floor of her makeshift shelter, and looked up at the stars. She jumped a little as she felt Lady lie down beside her to keep her warm. Lady rested her head on her chest, and wagged her tail. Lily smiled, and scratched behind Lady's ears. Maybe Lady isn't so bad after all.

 **A/N: So now we know the purpose of a Rider. They are to protect the townsfolk from the engine they are bonded to. Diesels however, are relatively harmless, unless they are provoked. I am working on a new story, but it might not be out for some time. One particular part foreshadows this story. The next chapter is already in the works, and always, until we meet again, see ya later!**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Finally, another chapter! Elizabeth Jones and Draco Kirkland belong to MyWinx14. A quick warning of some language in this chapter, just a heads up. Also, to Guest, diesels are herbivores. They usually feed on fruits, and berries. Most of them are relatively harmless to people, and other engines alike. Anyway, on with the story!**

Everett felt a wave of relief when he was told he was able to leave the hospital today. He had had more than fair share with this place. The whole building was the same color no matter where you went. The rooms were freezing cold, and the food was terrible. Well, there was one thing that was nice about this place. A couple of volunteers frequently visited him. What were their names? Oh yeah, Elizabeth Jones, and Draco Kirkland. They were kind enough to bring him some food that was actually decent rather than the garbage the hospital offered.

One time he noticed they both had the mark of a Rider on their palms, but he never questioned them about it. They certainly weren't diesel Riders, or he would have known them a long time ago. Unless a pair of diesels kept them hidden, which was understandable considering the feud brewing between the steamies and diesels right now. Elizabeth, and Draco were quite affectionate towards each other. Everett never had the time for a relationship, neither was he interested in one either. He could care less about finding a soulmate.

Everett perked up a little bit when Elizabeth entered the room. She was smiling as usual, a light in this dark place. It was nice to see someone other than a nurse, or physician, let alone a fellow Rider. They understood the dangers he was facing, and took pity on him. Despite the fact that were steamie Riders rather than a fellow diesel Rider. Either way, they were kind to him, which was shocking for him.

"Are you glad to get out of here?" Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. Everett chuckled, and shook his head. He wanted out of here from day one. He wanted to see the light of day again, and be with the warship that had been protecting him all these years. To be honest, he missed the stubborn old diesel. It would be nice to be by his side again.

"Oh you have no idea. I'm sick, and tired of laying in this damn bed. It's uncomfortable as Hell, and they expect me to stay warm with a freaking bed sheet. I'd say I'm more than happy to leave this forsaken shit hole." Everett sat up. Emily most definitely gave him something to remember her by. He had burn scars on his arms when he used them to shield his face from her intense flames. He could cover those up with his hoodie's sleeves. He was one of the very lucky few that had survived such an encounter.

"I don't blame ya, but this hospital has the best doctors, surgeons, and nurses around. Anywhere else, and you might not have made it." Elizabeth had a point. If it weren't for this place, he would have been listed in the local obituaries, and Diesel 10 would be heartbroken. Everett was all he truly cared about. All he wanted was the best for his young Rider.

Elizabeth held out a hand to him. "Here, let me help you up." Elizabeth, unlike the nurses, waited for him to be ready to get up rather than just pulling him out of bed while he was still in pain from the burns he had received. Everett grasped her hand, and Elizabeth pulled out of the uncomfortable bed. It was a relief to finally be able to stand, and not sit in a wheelchair, and have one of the nurses push him around the place for everyone to see.

"Thanks. It's nice to finally stand up for once. I've got a bag of clothes in the closet over there." Everett gestured to the small closet in the far corner of the room. "I can go change in the bathroom." he wanted to get out of this place as quick as possible. He was sure Diesel 10 was feeling the same way.

"Of course, the closet, and bathroom are unlocked. Draco will be waiting outside to escort you out of here." Elizabeth nodded, and left the room. Everett went over to the closet, grabbed his clothes, went over to the bathroom, and changed back into his usual black hoodie, and pants. He left the room, and sure enough. Draco was waiting for him.

"Good to see you doing better." Draco smiled. Everett grunted in acknowledgement. He just wanted out of here.

"Thanks. I've had more than my fill of this place." Everett stuffed his hands into the pockets of his black hoodie. Draco chuckled softly.

"I know how that feels. That's why Elizabeth, and I volunteer here. We can make it seem not as bad, or even make the time go by just a little faster while you're here." Draco certainly did help pass the time as they exchanged stories of their adventures as a Rider. As it turns out, a steamie Rider was no different than a diesel Rider. Draco led him through the hospital, and to the front doors, a welcoming sight to Everett. He looked over at Draco, and hinted a smile.

"Well, I appreciate what you two are doing here. It was nice getting to know you, and Elizabeth. I'll see you two later sometime, I guess." Everett walked through the double doors, and sighed in relief. He was finally able to get some fresh air, and be in the warm sun. Everett reached out to Diesel 10, and felt a sense of relief from the warship. They hadn't contacted each other since the first day he was at the hospital. Diesel 10 was probably worried sick about him.

 _Hey, they finally let me leave, D10. Can you come, and pick me up at Vicarstown?_ Everett raised an eyebrow. He heard the warship sigh. Diesel 10 was probably not too keen on him venturing in his own, especially after just getting out of the hospital.

 _I would rather have you stay close to the hospital, kid. I'll get as close as I can to pick you up. I will let you know where I will be, and when I get there._ Diesel 10 withdrew. Everett rolled his eyes. It wouldn't kill him to walk a few miles. He needed the exercise after laying in bed most of the time anyway. After about twenty minutes, or so, Diesel 10 sent him a mental image to show where he was at. He was at a crossing in the middle of town.

 _I'm at a crossing about a block away. It's the closest I can get to hospital._ Diesel 10 withdrew from the bond. Everett sighed, and began the trek to the warship he was bonded to. It was nice to finally see the light of day, and feel the warmth of the sun on his face. He missed this, just as much as he missed the stubborn old warship he was bonded to.

Diesel 10 perked up when he caught Everett's familiar scent on the breeze just as Everett rounded the corner. He was relieved that the ordeal was finally over. There had been nights where he couldn't get a wink of sleep. He was worried sick about his precious Rider, but now he can finally relax, at least for a little bit.

"Good to see you back, kid." Diesel 10 lowered his claw to the boy, and opened it. Everett hinted a smile, and climbed into his claw, where he would be safe and sound from any steamie looking for a quick snack.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I missed running around with you all the time, D10. It was too quiet in that place... and the food sucked there. I would rather eat the fruits, and berries you eat than that garbage." Everett chuckled softly. Diesel 10 smiled, gently closed his claw around the boy, and lifted it onto his roof. He was just as relieved to have him back as Everett was happy to see him.

"I missed your snappy comebacks too, kid. It was quiet without you at the dieselworks. Laura had a hard time adjusting to it, but you're safe now. That's all that matters now." Diesel 10 looked up at his claw. He felt Everett perk up a little at the mention of Laura. He was probably eager to see her again for the first time in weeks. Laura seemed to be more worried about Everett than the warship himself. She was the boy's mentor after all.

"I wanted to leave that place since day one. I hated that place, and it feels good to see the light of day again." Everett leaned back in Diesel 10's claw, and relaxed. This was his sanctuary. This was the only place he truly felt at ease. He had spent many days, and nights here, and it was good to be back.

"I could sense it from you after a few days. I don't blame you either, kid. Did they feed you before they released you by chance? If not, we can use one of the main lines to pass through Henry's forest while we head back to the dieselworks. It's up to you, kid." Diesel 10 wanted to make sure his Rider was well taken care of, just as how any engine should. The boy required his constant attention. He needed to make sure Everett had everything he needed, and being separated from each other for so long definitely put a strain on the both of them, but it's all over now. He can finally rest easy knowing his Rider is safe by his side.

"Yeah, but I didn't any of the food they gave me. I thought the patients were given the best of the best. I guess I wrong. I'll take anything over that shit any day." Everett scoffed. He had had enough of that place, but now he wished he had eaten what he was given. Oh well. The warship he was bonded to would have probably made sure he was fed anyway if he did. He heard Diesel 10 chuckle softly, and felt a slight jerk as the warship headed down the main line to Henry's Forest.

It was wonderful to feel the wind in his hair, and hear the birds. He didn't realize how good he had it until he was restricted to the hospital bed. He missed seeing the other Riders, and diesels. They were like family to him. They looked out for each other, and made sure everyone was safe, and accounted for. If this feud never started, they wouldn't have any reason to be afraid to head outside to see the light of day. No one should have to be afraid like that.

...

Diesel 10 slowed to a stop once he was deep enough in the forest. He looked around to make sure it was safe to allow Everett out of his claw. There wasn't a steamie in sight. He lowered his claw to the ground, and opened it to let Everett out to stretch his legs a little, and to let him eat from the berry bushes. Everett slid out of his claw, and immediately started to pluck berries from the bushes.

Everett made sure the berries were ripe before eating them. This was the peak season for this. Their timing was perfect. He looked up as Diesel 10 lifted his claw, and gently grasped a branch of a cherry tree. Diesel 10 gingerly pulled the branch down to a level where the warship was able to eat the fruits right off the tree.

This was when Diesel 10's claw became a tool, rather than a weapon. He was able to reach the fruits, and berries most diesels were unable to reach, giving him a huge advantage over most engines. He ate the cherries right from the branch. He didn't need much, just enough to get him back to the dieselworks. Once he had eaten his fill, he released the branch, and patiently waited for Everett to finish.

When Everett had eaten his fill, he climbed into one of Diesel 10's cabs, much to the warship's dismay. He would prefer for the boy to ride in his claw. The boy was vulnerable in his cabs. However, a steamie would have to guess which cab his Rider was riding in, and they most certainly wouldn't take him head on, where Everett was riding in. They would probably attack from the rear. Besides, steamies normally left him alone anyway.

Everett leaned back against the wall of one of Diesel 10's cabs as he felt the warship take off for the dieselworks. He made sure he was far enough from the footplate, so a steamie couldn't race by, and snatch him up. He was sure Diesel 10 would catch them anyway, but all it takes is a split second for a steamie to kill him with a swift crushing bite.

A steamie would have to be pretty dumb to try to kill him in the warship's company, but... they may be confident now they have learned that Diesel 10 can't take on more than two steamies at once. The fight with The Steam Team was an unfair match anyway. Eight steamies against one warship was overkill, but... they may have had their Riders with them, like Elizabeth Jones, and Draco Kirkland. That could have played a role as to why they were so fierce in that fight. At least the diesels stopped fighting before it got too bloody. Steamies however, would probably fight to the death. The fight between The Steam Team, and Diesel 10 only made his fear of steamies even worse than before. Everett wouldn't feel comfortable going to the stations anymore. The steamies were bloodthirsty monsters.

Everett relaxed when Diesel 10 slowed to a stop in the dieselworks. This was the second place he felt most comfortable. He was safely out of reach of those dreaded steamies. He climbed out of Diesel 10's cab, and the other diesels perked up when they saw him. They were like an extended family to him, and it was a relief to see their smiling faces again.

"Hey, Everett! It's good to have ya back, kiddo!" 'Arry smiled. Even the Ironworks twins were happy to see him. Usually, they kept to themselves, especially since the feud started decades ago. Despite their rough exterior, they were actually rather kind, at least to fellow diesels, and their Riders. The Ironworks was one of the last sanctuaries for the diesel Riders, besides the scrapyard, and the dieselworks.

"It's nice to see everyone again after being stuck in the hospital for a couple days." Everett returned the warm smile. Laura slowly hobbled over, and clapped him on the back.

"Good to see ya again, kid." Laura had almost fully recovered. After several weeks of being on crutches, the doctor allowed her to walk, but very slowly, and to avoid running, and heavy lifting. Diesel found it to be difficult to make sure Laura took it easy. However, the usually stubborn Laura had finally given in to the doctor's orders. It was what was best for her if she wanted to recover from the brutal attack.

"It's to good to see you too, Laura. Believe it or not, I missed you barking orders at the new recruits." Everett chuckled. Everyone laughed. It was great to be back.

 **A/N: And there you have it! Once again, a diesel's natural diet consists of usually berries, fruits, and sometimes vegetables, which is why they are usually not used to deliver produce. It usually doesn't make it to it's destination. Most diesels are fairly harmless to humans. However, Diesel 10 is overly aggressive (you can thank P.T Boomer for that). I might write a story about that. I'm not sure. A fun fact: warships actually have two cabs, rather than one. In this case, it helps protect Everett a little bit. The next chapter is already in the works, and the dragon AU is in the works as well. I will have them both out as soon as I can. Until next time, see ya later!**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: I will be introducing a new character for this story, and hint at a new character for other stories as well. The other character might be used in TTTE stories. I'm not entirely sure. He is more of a universal character. Anyway, on with the story!**

Back on Misty Island, Shadowpelt was teaching Lily her next lesson. This was one of the most important parts of being a Rider, using magic, and how to use it properly. Shadowpelt picked up two pebbles from the ground, and placed one of the pebbles in Lily's hand. Shadowpelt held the other in her palm.

"We will start with simple spells. I will show you spell, and how to cast it." Shadowpelt gathered her energy, and recited the spell. The pebble in her palm began to levitate from her palm. She allowed the spell to run it's course for a minute, or two, and then cut off the energy to the spell. The pebble fell back to her hand.

"Like so, now you try it. I will help you if you need it." Shadowpelt gestured for Lily to give it a try. Lily looked down at the pebble in her palm, and recited the spell. She frowned. The pebble didn't budge an inch. If Shadowpelt was able to cast spells with such ease, then why couldn't she do the same? She is Lady's Rider after all.

"Rider might not have learned to properly control energy for spell. It is not easy at first, but with practice, using magic will be natural as breathing to you, Rider, but using too much energy for a spell can kill you. It takes a special balance to be able to cast spells. Open your mind, and I will show you, Dova." Shadowpelt's grey tail twitched. She knew humans were unable to perform true magic without practice, but with the right technique, they could cast spells with little effort.

Lily considered Shadowpelt's offer for a moment, unsure how Shadowpelt was able to show her how to use the arcane arts, but she relaxed, and allowed Shadowpelt to enter her mind. Shadowpelt gently pulled Lily's conscience away from her body, and into her own mind. Lily's vision changed to Shadowpelt's vision. Shadowpelt had sharp senses, more specifically, her sense of hearing was better than most, but nowhere near as sharp as Lady's senses. She felt... calm, at peace. Shadowpelt had no worries, no anger, no sorrow, just serenity, peace. Shadowpelt had an understanding of how the whole world was connected, and treated the Earth's resources, and animals like gold, using them sparingly, and only taking what she needed, and giving back twice as much.

 _The first step to being able to cast spells is to unlock your energy. This can take some time for you to pull off, Rider. Watch me._ Shadowpelt's voice echoed in Lily's mind. Shadowpelt focused on the spell itself, and dug deep into her very soul. Lily could feel the energy welling up inside of Shadowpelt. Shadowpelt released a steady stream of energy, and sure enough, the pebble began to levitate. She continued to do this for several minutes before cutting off the stream of energy, and ending the spell.

 _Magic is not a logical matter, Rider. It is something you feel deep in your very soul. Magic dwells within your heart, not your mind. You just have to learn how to unlock your potential._ Shadowpelt knew that magic was something humans could not comprehend completely, even with decades of studying it, but Lily had great potential for a Rider. She saw something in Lily when she first read her, indomitable spirit. Lily was determined to bring peace to the island, no matter the cost. Shadowpelt gently guided Lily back to her own mind, and Lily's vision returned to normal.

"Try it again, Rider, use what I taught you." Shadowpelt smiled gently. Lily looked down at the pebble, and focused on it. She relaxed, and gathered her energy. She cast the spell, and this time the pebble in her hand levitated for a few seconds before falling back to her hand. Lily was taken aback. Did she really just do that?

"See? It just takes some practice is all. Now that you can cast a spell, I can teach teach you how to use different types of spells." Shadowpelt stood up, and began to demonstrate a handful of spells Lily would need to learn, and then taught Lily every spell she knew, from destruction, and healing spells, to manipulating the world around her. She made sure to give them both frequent breaks, and snuck in a few horseback riding lessons while they were resting.

Cheveyo was rather patient with Lily. It was as if he knew she was learning to ride for the first time. Shadowpelt had overheard Burnett worrying about Lily's birthday that was coming up in a few weeks, but was unable to provide a gift for her. Shadowpelt had a gift in mind, but it would require Lily to learn the necessary skills to ride it. Shadowpelt would have to set out, and find it before anything else. Once Lily had completed her lessons, she dropped Lily off at the camp, and rode off on Cheveyo to search for Lily's gift.

Shadowpelt kept a sharp eye out for any movement in the thick foliage. Horses were rare here, and she wasn't guaranteed to find one right off the bat. She urged Cheveyo to stop when she saw a black horse with burn scars on it's back, neck, and head bucking like mad, and frothing at the mouth. It's milky white eyes gave away just what it was. This horse was cursed with undeath, but it never caused any problems. It just aimlessly roamed wherever it pleased, as if it was searching for something. She urged Cheveyo to race off. That horse most definitely was not suitable as a gift for Lily, maybe for Patch, but she doubted even he would want a horse like that.

She rode Cheveyo into a clearing, and urged him to stop again. There was a small heard of horses, normal horses, peacefully grazing in the middle of the clearing. Shadowpelt scanned the herd, searching for an ideal horse for Lily. Her eyes fell upon a beautiful white Friesian mare with bright blue eyes. The mare's elegant gait, and beautiful appearance was perfect for Lily. The mare looked like she had just jumped right out of a fairy tale. Friesians were known for thier excellent temperament, and beauty. The mare was perfect. Shadowpelt silently dismounted Cheveyo, and slowly approached the herd, careful not to spook the horses. The horses immediately lifted their heads, and nervously pawed at the ground with their hooves. They were uneasy with her presence.

"Shh... It is okay... we are friends." Shadowpelt gently hushed the horses. The horses slowly calmed down, and Shadowpelt carefully approached the white mare. She was even more beautiful up close. The mare whinnied, and reared, startled by her.

"Easy, ira. Shh... I won't hurt you." Shadowpelt gently calmed the beautiful mare. The mare slowly calmed down, and allowed Shadowpelt to get up close. Shadowpelt gently stroked the mare's powerful neck. Once she was sure the mare trusted her, she quickly climbed onto the mare's back, and held on. The mare whinnied, and tried to buck her off. The rest of the herd ran off in a panic, leaving Shadowpelt, and the mare alone with Cheveyo. Shadowpelt made sure to lean in the opposite direction where the mare was bucking to keep her from falling off. She had learned this from her several attampts to break Cheveyo when she first found him. The mare gave Shadowpelt all she had, using all of her energy in vain attempts to throw her off the mare's back.

The mare began to tire. She was slowing down, and her attempts to throw Shadowpelt off didn't have as much strength, and energy as they used to. The mare eventually stopped, and panted. Shadowpelt had finally broken the mare. Shadowpelt smiled. Everything was falling into place.

"See? I'm not so bad aren't I?" Shadowpelt patted the Friesian's neck. She looked back at Cheveyo, who was patiently waiting for her.

"Cheveyo, follow!" Shadowpelt called out, and began to ride back to camp. Cheveyo perked up, and followed her. She stopped close to camp, but far enough where Lily wouldn't be able to see the mare. She dismounted the mare, and hitched her to a tree. Shadowpelt climbed onto Cheveyo's back, and rode back into camp. She would have to balance teaching Lily, providing for the humans, and training the mare. It wouldn't be easy, but she was sure she could handle it. As long as Lily doesn't suspicious of her leaving so frequently.

...

Lily began to notice a change in Shadowpelt's routine. Shortly after her lessons, Shadowpelt would retreat to the forest when it was too early for her usual hunt, and has been talking with Burnett in private. She had to be planning something. Lily had caught a glimpse of something white in the underbrush close to the camp on several occassions, but never investigated it. It was probably a rabbit, or even a deer flicking it's tail in the thick foliage.

As the days passed, it was getting closer to Lily's birthday. Lily didn't expect any gifts this year. Being so close to Lady, and being her Rider was enough of a gift for her. When the big day for her came, Shadowpelt allowed Lily to skip her lessons for that day. Shadowpelt simply couldn't stop smiling. What was she hiding?

"Lily, Burnett told me your birthday is today, am I correct?" Shadowpelt raised an eyebrow at her. She was honestly surprised Lily had not caught on what was going on, then again, Lily probably knew she needed to focus on her lessons, and not something moving around in the foliage.

"Yes, why?" Lily wasn't sure what Shadowpelt was implying. Did Shadowpelt make a gift for her, or was Shadowpelt simply going to wish her happy birthday? Shadowpelt sat up straight.

"Whistle." Shadowpelt replied. Lily gave her a puzzled look, but didn't question her mentor. She whistled. Nothing happened.

"Give it a few moments, Lily." Shadowpelt stood up, and stepped back a little. Lily became even more suspicious of the were-cat.

Lily suddenly heard something large race close to the camp, and a few moments later, a beautiful white Friesian mare with light blue eyes leapt from the underbrush, and landed in the camp next to Shadowpelt. The mare whinnied, and reared. Lily slowly stood up, and gazed at the beautiful mare in disbelief. Was this horse really hers? The mare was even equipped with a blanket on it's back, and reigns. The mare was ready to ride. Lily eagerly approached the mare, and circled the beautiful horse.

"Is she really mine?" Lily looked at Shadowpelt. Shadowpelt smiled, and nodded. Lily squealed in excitement. She was like a little kid getting a toy they always wanted.

"I found her grazing in clearing not far from camp. I trained her her after your lessons. That's why I have been absent so much. She was keeping me busy." Shadowpelt gestured for Lily to mount up on the mare. "Come on, let's see what you have learned so far when it comes to riding on horseback." Shadowpelt wanted to make sure Lily was able to ride on her own before she allows Lily to ride without her supervision.

Lily didn't need to be told twice. Lily quickly stepped up onto a tree stump, and climbed onto the beautiful mare's back. Burnett looked at Shadowpelt in shock. He must not had expected her to give Lily a horse for a present.

"Where in the world do you think I'm going to keep that thing?" Burnett asked Shadowpelt. He expected something small, like a little trinket Shadowpelt had found while on her way back to camp, but not a horse, especially one as big as this one.

"She can stay at my parents' stable until you can get a stable built for her, Mr. Stone. I'm sure Lady wouldn't mind letting you take from her hoard too if you need extra money." Patch looked at Lady, who was avoiding the whole situation. Patch knew Lily would still prefer to ride on Lady. Lady was far faster, and stronger than a horse, but it would be good to let Lily keep the horse just in case if she ever needed a quick getaway when Lady is absent.

"Before Lily can do anything with her, she needs to decide what to name this mare." Shadowpelt looked up at Lily, who was already on the mare's back, and was eager to ride on her own for the first time. Lily thought for a moment. There was only one name that could fit a horse as beautiful as this one.

"How about, Bella?" Lily suggested. Bella nickered as a reply.

"I'll take that as a yes." Lily giggled. Shadowpelt climbed onto Cheveyo's back, and gently grasped his reigns.

"Come, Lily, let us ride for a little bit." Shadowpelt gently urged Cheveyo to begin moving. Lily clicked her tongue, and gently squeezed her legs together to get Bella to start moving. Bella's elegant, and rather energetic gait was definitely a change from Cheveyo's gait. Lily just needed to get used to riding Bella. There was one benefit to riding Bella however. Bella was much taller than Cheveyo, which allowed Lily to see obstacles sooner than Shadowpelt would be able to. Once they were far enough from the camp, Shadowpelt decided it was the perfect time to test Lily's horseback riding skills.

"How about we race to clearing where we practice lessons? I'm sure Bella is eager to run." Shadowpelt looked at Lily. Lily smiled. This was her chance to prove herself to her mentor.

"You're on! On my count, ready, set, go!" Lily urged Bella to run. Bella took off, and Cheveyo raced after her. Bella leapt over a fallen tree with ease, whereas Cheveyo had to pick up more speed in order to be able to jump over the obstacle. What Bella lacked in speed, she made up for it in brute strength, stamina, and endurance.

It wasn't long before Cheveyo whinnied, and started to slow down. He had ran out of stamina, but was persistent. He wanted to help his master in any way he could. Shadowpelt urged to him to slow down to help him catch his breath. Bella raced past Cheveyo, leaving him, and Shadowpelt in the dust. Once Lily had reached the clearing, she urged Bella to slow down to a stop. She had won. Several moments later, Cheveyo came to a stop next to Bella, panting.

"Guess I can teach you a lesson after all, Shadowpelt." Lily smiled. Shadowpelt returned the smile. An old dog can always learn new tricks.

"Bella may have more strength, and stamina, but Cheveyo is faster. Bella is designed for running long distances. Cheveyo is not. Cheveyo different than Bella. We must let our horse rest. We don't want to overexert them." Shadowpelt dismounted Cheveyo, and Cheveyo immediately went over the trees to rest in the shade. Lily climbed down from Bella's back with Shadowpelt's help, and Bella joined Cheveyo's sideto rest in the shade.

Lily, and Shadowpelt took it easy, and talked for a few hours. Once they were sure Bella, and Cheveyo were completely rested, Shadowpelt helped Lily onto Bella's back, and Shadowpelt climbed onto Cheveyo's back. Together, they rode back to camp. This was a birthday to remember.

 **A/N: The black horse is a new character of mine named Plague. You can find more information about him in my profile. Bella is a Friesian mare, and is based from Fredrick the Great, perhaps the most famous Friesian stallion in the world. Friesians are by far my most favorite breed, and I decided to give Lily one as little gift.**

 **Here we go again with the language lessons!**

 **Ira: It means female in were-cat. It is pronounced eye-rah.**

 **The next chapter is already in the works, so until next time, see ya later!**


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